Twelve Days
by Mag68
Summary: Set in Season One. How long does it take to figure out that your true love may have been standing right in front of you all along? My Support Stacie Author Auction fic, brought to you by IkilledKenny and Iwannahorn.
1. Partridges, Doves and Hens

**A/N:** Once upon a time, there was a Stocking Stuffer Author Auction in which participants offered to write a 2,500 word holiday themed one-shot for the highest bidder. I placed myself on the block, and my fairy godmother, **IkilledKenny,** appeared with her magic wand and, once again, turned rags to riches for **truelovepooh**. **IkilledKenny** was then generous enough to tie a bow to my head and give me to **Iwannahorn** as a Christmas present. Between the three of us, we cooked up this little idea for a story. All on my own, I managed to turn this 2,500 word one-shot into another monstrosity. Once I started, it just wouldn't stop. This story has consumed me for the better part of a week, and I fear it may take nearly as long for people to read it.

It is complete, but for obvious reasons, I cannot post it as a one-shot. I have broken it into chapters, but intend to post them all at once so that they flow together. This story was written for **Kenny**, **Iwanna** and **Pooh**, but I hope that it makes the holiday season a little brighter for all of you. Getting to know many of you over the past year has been the best gift of all. Wishing you and your families safe and happy holidays! Mags

**Partridges, Doves and Hens**

**Monday, December 25, 2000 – Christmas Day**

"I thought we'd never get out of there," Lorelai whined for the fortieth time.

"Yes, I know," Rory answered dutifully.

Lorelai turned to glare at her daughter and said, "Oh, come on, tell me that wasn't four hours of torture," Lorelai scoffed.

Rory simply shrugged and said, "I wouldn't say torture."

"You liked that? The hours of carefully unwrapping tastefully wrapped presents? The bazillion course meal? You're seriously telling me that you wouldn't have rather been curled up on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn and Bing Crosby?" Lorelai demanded.

"Um, Bing isn't really my type," Rory said with a smirk.

"Not tall, dark and floppy haired enough for you?" Lorelai quipped.

"Flirt with any nice teachers lately?" Rory shot back.

Lorelai sighed and said, "No, not lately."

"Sorry," Rory answered, instantly contrite.

"Rory, I promise, if anything had actually gone on between me and Max, I mean Mr. Medina, I would have told you, really," Lorelai said quickly.

"No big deal," Rory said with a dismissive wave. "Hey, can you drop me by Lane's for a little while? Her cousin gave her a new Cure CD cleverly concealed in a copy of _Plague and Pestilence,_" she explained.

"The sequel to _Pride and Prejudice_?" Lorelai asked with exaggerated interest. "Sure," she said as she turned to head toward Kim's Antiques. When she pulled to a stop, she noticed that the lights in Luke's were on. "Hey, is Luke's open?" she asked with a quizzical frown.

"Looks like it," Rory commented.

"It's Christmas Day," Lorelai pointed out unnecessarily.

Rory shrugged and said, "Luke is always open on the holidays. He makes dinner for everyone who doesn't have a dinner to go to, you know that."

"Well, yeah, I know about thanksgiving, but I didn't know he opened on Christmas too." She glanced at the clock on the dash and said, "And it's late. Doesn't he do the Thanksgiving thing earlier in the day?"

"I don't know, I guess so," Rory said as she reached for the door handle. "I shouldn't be too long. Pop the popcorn and tell Bing I'll be with you guys in a little while."

"Call me and I'll come and pick you up. It's too cold to walk," Lorelai told her.

Rory jerked her chin at the diner and said, "I bet there's coffee on in there, think of it as a Christmas miracle."

Lorelai's eyes widened as she gasped, "You're probably right! You are brilliant! I didn't believe it when everybody said so, but I sure do now," she teased.

"Thanks," Rory grumbled as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to Luke's. If you see the car when you get done, just meet me there," Lorelai instructed.

"Be nice, it's Christmas," Rory reminded her mother as she climbed from the Jeep and let the door slam shut behind her.

Lorelai watched until she was sure that Rory was safe and warm in the Kim's house and then pulled around the square to park in front of the diner. She grabbed her purse, and scanned the windows as she climbed from the car. She opened the door with a perplexed frown and stepped into the deserted diner. When he heard the bells above the door jingle, Luke stepped out of the kitchen wiping his hands on a towel. "Hey," he greeted her.

"Hey. Merry Christmas. I can say that to you now, since today really is Christmas," she added, pointing a stern finger at him. Lorelai walked over to the counter and set her purse on the stool next to her as she watched Luke pour a large mug of coffee for her. When he set it in front of her without a word, Lorelai blinked in surprise and asked, "No commentary? No arguing? No rant?"

"My present to you," Luke said gruffly.

Lorelai looked down at the coffee mug and then back up at him. She frowned and said, "Seems wrong and vaguely disconcerting. Can you at least tell me that it will stunt my growth?" she asked, cocking her head at him.

"And eat away at your stomach lining," Luke added with a nod.

"Much better," Lorelai breathed, flashing a relieved smile as she reached for the handle on the mug. "So, busy day?" she asked as she glanced meaningfully at the empty tables.

"It was earlier. Well, not busy, but I had a few people," Luke amended.

"So, do you do Christmas like Thanksgiving? You just cook everything and whoever shows up shows up?" she asked.

"Pretty much," he answered, busying himself with wiping down the already spotless counter.

Lorelai watched him, her eyes drawn to the fine dark hair that covered his forearms. "That's a nice thing to do, Luke," she said as she wondered if that hair was as soft as it looked.

"Well, most of them eat here regularly, so it's the least I can do," he said with a dismissive shrug. He looked up and found her staring at him. "You okay?" he asked.

Lorelai snapped out of her trance and shook her head as she picked up her mug and took a quick sip, burning her tongue on the scalding liquid. "I'm fine," she said too quickly, wincing as she rubbed her tender tongue against her teeth.

A small smile tugged at his lips as Luke grabbed a cup and scooped some ice into it. He slid it across the counter without saying a word and turned to the back counter, straightening the already perfectly aligned appliances and supplies as Lorelai fished a cube from the cup with two fingers and popped it into her mouth. "You go to your parents'?" he asked.

"Yep," she replied, shifting the ice cube from one side of her mouth to the other with her injured tongue.

"That good, huh?" he asked with a chuckle as he turned back to her.

Lorelai tucked the ice cube into her cheek. "My mother gave me three sweaters in three of the most putrid colors you have ever seen. And, as a special bonus, she bought them two sizes too big because she said that all of mine appeared to have shrunk in the dryer," she reported.

Luke snorted and said, "That's ridiculous."

"I know. Everyone who has ever laundered clothing knows that sweaters don't go in the dryer," Lorelai said as she shifted the cube to the other side of her mouth. She watched him, wishing that he would turn away again so that she could spit it into a napkin, but her luck seemed to be holding steady at none.

"I meant it's ridiculous to purposefully buy a gift that you know the person you're giving it to will hate," Luke said as he pressed his palms to the edge of the counter and leaned into it with an exasperated sigh. "Your sweaters fit you fine," he said without thinking, and instantly regretted it.

Lorelai bit back the quick comment that sprung to her lips as she saw the color rise in his cheeks. "That's my mother. Now, she has the added pleasure of knowing that I'm going to have to stand in line to return those sweaters. She knows I will because they came from Nordstrom's, they're very expensive, and made from this incredible downy soft cashmere. The only problem is that the yarn was apparently chosen by a color blind glaucoma patient," she added with a shrug. Lorelai forced the remainder of the ice cube down her throat

Luke chuckled and said, "Wow, color blind? The glaucoma wasn't bad enough?"

"Just making my point," she answered. "How about you? Any family trauma to report?"

"Nope," Luke said with a quick shake of his head, pushing away from the counter to busy himself with refilling the sugar and sweetener packets.

"None at all? You're making me feel like a loser, Luke," she chided him.

"Sorry."

Lorelai toyed with the handle on her mug, twisting the cup back and forth, watching the dark liquid swish in the bowl. "You know, when I was little, I really wanted the Partridge family to adopt me. I wanted to ride around in the bus, and I bet I could have played the hell out of that tambourine," she mused.

"What would they have done with the little girl?" Luke asked without looking up.

"Tracy? Oh, she would have played the triangle instead. She would have been great on the triangle," Lorelai asserted. "I mainly just wanted all of those brothers and sisters. The Partridges, the Brady Bunch, I was so jealous. I wanted someone to share a little bit of the heat, you know?" she said, a hollow laugh escaping her lips.

"Siblings are overrated," Luke grumbled.

Lorelai watched him wipe down the salt and pepper shakers employing a tad too much attention to detail. "You have a sister, don't you? I think I heard that somewhere," she said murmured.

"Yep."

Frustrated by her inability to engage him subtly, Lorelai gave up the pretense. "You didn't see your family today?" she asked bluntly.

"Nah. We don't do that," he answered as he began to wipe the napkin dispensers spaced along the counter top.

"See, now, anyone else might think that was sad, but to me that sounds like heaven," she said in a teasing tone.

"I have a sister and a nephew. Once a year, I get an early Christmas card from Liz asking for money to buy Jess presents. Sometimes she slips a school picture in there just to seal the deal," he said gruffly, not daring to meet her sympathetic gaze.

"Do you send it to her?"

"Sure, why not?" Luke shrugged as he tossed the towel onto the shelf below the counter and rubbed his hands together to dry them.

"Well, I wouldn't know since I never had a sibling, but everything I've seen on TV tells me that things should be different," Lorelai said stiffly, feeling oddly protective of him.

"I know that this flies in the face of all that you hold dear, but life is rarely like what you see on TV," Luke said dryly. "Liz and I are okay. This is what we do. She screws up, I fix it. We're both comfortable with that," he told her.

"You deserve better than that," Lorelai said softly, unaware that the words were spoken aloud.

"Well, you deserve nice sweaters that fit," Luke replied, ducking his head quickly and searching for something else to keep him occupied. He spotted the pie under its glass dome and without asking, lifted the lid and began to plate a piece.

"Hey, um, Rory and I are gonna go home and watch White Christmas, you want to come over?" she asked suddenly. Luke's hand froze as he transferred the pie to a plate and he looked over at her in surprise. Lorelai flashed him a nervous smile and sang, "Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow!"

"That, right there, is reason enough for me to say, 'no, thank you'," he said with a smirk.

"Seriously Luke, you should come over. We make popcorn and watch all of the Christmas classics, kick back, and forget that we just spent the last four hours trapped in the seventh circle of hell," she said with a grin, warming to the idea now that she had a moment to think it through.

Luke looked over at her and did his best not to flinch when he saw the pity clouding in her bright blue eyes. "No. Thank you, though. I'm good here," he said quietly as he slid the plate down the counter to her.

The bells chimed and Rory stepped into the diner, red cheeked and breathless. "I had to escape the gospel according to Luke by running to Luke's," she panted as she closed the door.

"That's what all the good heathens do, Sweets," Lorelai assured her as Rory claimed the stool next to her. She cut off a hunk of pie with her fork and said, "Thank you God for pie," before popping it into her mouth.

"Good Christmas, Luke?" Rory asked as she shrugged out of her coat.

"Yep," Luke answered as he placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of her. "You?"

"Very good," Rory said with a grin. "It would be better if I had some pie, though."

Luke smiled and began to slide a piece onto a plate for her. "I tried to sucker Luke into coming over to watch movies with us, but so far my charms are wasted on him," Lorelai reported.

"You should," Rory said with a nod. "When they sing the snow song Mom likes to toss popcorn in the air because she thinks it simulates snowfall."

"Wow, special effects," Luke said drolly.

"It's spectacular," Lorelai said soberly.

"I have to open tomorrow, but thanks," Luke said with a nod of acknowledgement. He listened to them chatter as they plowed through their pie. When they finished, he poured two large cups of coffee to-go and pressed the lids onto them tightly.

"You trying to kick us out?" Lorelai asked as she eyed the cups he placed in front of them.

"Nope, just figured you'd want to get to it," Luke answered easily.

Rory slipped her arms into her coat, grabbed her cup and held her hand out to Lorelai. "Give me the keys and I'll go start the car," she ordered.

Lorelai handed her keychain over with a grin. "It's good to have a flunky."

"I bet," Luke said as he watched Rory close the door after her and trot over to the Jeep.

Lorelai slipped off of her stool and began to put on her coat. Luke watched as she pulled her hair free from the collar and glanced down to fasten the buttons, trying to resist the urge to reach out and touch the soft curls that swirled over her shoulders. She picked up her purse and set it on the counter as she dug for her wallet. Almost of its own volition, Luke's hand shot out to still hers. "Merry Christmas, Lorelai," he said quietly.

Lorelai stared at his hand for a moment, mesmerized by the long fingers that covered hers. "Merry Christmas, Luke," she said softly, looking up into his dark blue eyes.

Luke pulled his hand away and cleared his throat softly as he shoved both hands safely into his back pockets. He rocked back on his heels a bit and said, "See you tomorrow."

"Count on it," Lorelai answered with a smile. She took a couple of quick steps back, and then turned to hurry for the door.

"Your coffee," he called to her.

"Oh yeah," Lorelai said as she rushed back to the counter and snatched up the to-go cup. "Best Christmas present ever," she said with a grin.

"Yeah, well, don't say I never gave you anything," Luke joked.

"I'm serious. This is right up there with the Hello Kitty alarm clock that Rory gave me," she said as she backed toward the door once more. "You're a heck of a guy," she called as she reached for the handle.

"Your sweaters look good," he called back as she opened the door.

Lorelai's head whipped around. She gaped at him for a moment, but then her shock melted into a pleased smile. "Good how?" she asked. When he didn't answer, Lorelai said, "Thanks for noticing," and then fled through the open door, letting it slam shut behind her as she hurried for the car.

"Anytime," Luke murmured as he watched her circle to the passenger side of the Jeep. "And every time," he muttered under his breath as he reached for his towel and began to wipe the counter where they had sat moments before.

**Tuesday, December 26, 2000**

The following day, Lorelai strolled out of Le Chat Club, pleased with the exchange she had made. She peered down into the bag and admired the Hello Kitty pot holders she had selected after returning the feral looking set Babette had given her. Not watching where she was going, she accidentally plowed into Luke as he walked out of the stationary store. "Oh, hey," she said as she stepped back, reaching for his arm to steady herself for a moment. "Sorry," she said as she quickly dropped her hand.

"No problem. You okay?" he asked.

"Got Hello Kitty pot holders, so yes, all I need now is world peace and I'm set," she told him with a nod. "What are you doing, hitting the after Christmas sales? Stocking up on pretty ribbons and bows for next year?" she teased.

Luke held up the bag clutched in his hand and said, "Scored some terrific number ten envelopes."

"Ugh, you win again," Lorelai laughed.

"How were your movies last night?" he asked.

"Good, the usual. Bing binged and Rosemary Cloonied. They're all still following the old man," she said with a shrug.

"You coming in for lunch?" Luke asked.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "Gotta head to Nordstrom's. There's a spot in the return line with my name on it. I just hope that I don't faint from hunger before I can get to the pretzel place," she said worriedly.

Luke smirked as he reached into the pocket of his worn old army coat. He pulled something out of his pocket and said, "Here, this should hold you," as he held out his hand.

Lorelai opened hers palm up. "A Rueben?" she asked hopefully. She smiled widened as he dropped two foil wrapped chocolate bells into her palm. "Wow, first coffee and pie and now candy?" she said in an awed tone. "Dove chocolates, no less. I love Dove," she cooed as she inspected them. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously and asked, "Who are you and what have you done with my friend Luke?"

"I was in the bank and Marcie had a bowl of those on the counter. She kept pushing them, so I took a couple to shut her up," Luke said gruffly.

"There he is," she said with a grin. "Glad to have you back."

Luke rolled his eyes and said, "I have to get back."

"See you later," Lorelai called as he walked toward the diner. She looked down at the chocolates in her hand, and then back up at his retreating back. She cocked her head and watched him walk away, wondering how she never noticed how broad his shoulders were as he watched him turn sideways to slip past a knot of post holiday shoppers.

"Lovely isn't it?" Patty purred as she sidled up next to Lorelai.

Lorelai quickly closed her fingers over the candies he had given her and turned to Patty as she asked, "What? The decorations?"

"I didn't mean the flora, sweetheart, I meant the fauna," Patty drawled as Luke disappeared up the steps to the diner. "That boy is useful as well as decorative. It's a wonder some smart girl hasn't snapped him up," she said leadingly. "Gotta run, I hear that the Christmas shop in Woodbridge is having a 75% off sale, and I want to get some of those big glass ornaments to hang from the rafters next year. You know that there's nothing I like better than nice big balls!" Patty cackled as she hurried on her way.

**Wednesday, December 27, 2000**

"Man I don't want to go back to work today," Lorelai whined as she dropped down into a chair and leaned forward letting her forehead drop to the formica tabletop.

"Do you want me to write you a note?" Rory offered.

"I want coffee and food," Lorelai muttered from under the curtain of her hair. "Where's Luke?" she whined as the man himself approached.

"Right here, and get your head up off of the table," he growled.

Lorelai turned her head, flicked her hair back with her fingertips and glared at him with one eye. "I'm too weak," she moaned.

"It's unsanitary," he hissed. "People are trying to eat, and your hair is all over the place."

"I don't see you wearing a hairnet," Lorelai said as she sat up and then promptly slumped down in her seat to pout.

"Hat," Luke grunted as he tapped the blue cap she had given him.

Lorelai blinked up at him and asked, "You mean that's not just a fashion choice?"

Luke rolled his eyes and asked, "You gonna order?"

"I want pancakes. And sausage. The link kind," Rory said quickly.

"Regular or blueberry?" Luke asked as he wrote her order on his pad.

Rory pursed her lips as she pondered her options and then said, "Regular. I don't seem to be in a blueberry mood," she determined with a nod.

"You?" Luke grunted as he turned to Lorelai.

"French toast, bacon, a gallon of syrup and three gallons of coffee," she ordered.

"I'll bring you some juice," Luke said as he spun on his heel and stalked away.

"They should do something about the service in this joint," Lorelai grumbled.

"It's not Luke's fault that you want to stay home lounging in your pajamas all day."

"But I didn't get to lounge yesterday, I had to brave the mall," Lorelai said indignantly.

"Also not Luke's fault," Rory retorted. "Plus, look at the pretty blue one you scored," she said as she gestured to the snug royal blue cashmere sweater that peeked out from under Lorelai coat.

Unappeased, Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Well, something has to be his fault."

"I'm out of the Texas toast bread," Luke told as he approached with two coffee mugs and two small glasses of orange juice.

"I don't want Texan toast, I want French toast," Lorelai said smartly. She stared quizzically at the juice glasses and pointed to them as she said, "I thought that was a joke."

"Nope. The Texas toast is the thicker bread I use for the French toast. I only have three slices left," he said with a shrug.

"How is that possible?" Lorelai gasped.

"Well, when your bread guy comes down with the flu I guess anything is possible. I'm expecting a meteor strike any minute," he said dryly.

"But, but, I need French toast," Lorelai said as she gazed up at him imploringly.

"I can give you regular bread," he offered.

"No, that's not French toast," she scoffed.

"Same stuff, skinnier," he insisted.

"Diet French toast?" she asked incredulously. "Are you saying I'm fat?"

Luke sighed as he glanced around the busy diner. "I don't have time for this, Lorelai. Tell you what, I'll make the three slices, cut them on a diagonal, and then you'll have six," he said, getting agitated.

"That's cheating!" she gasped.

"I'll sprinkle them with powdered sugar, and throw in a couple of eggs. That's my last offer," he said firmly.

Lorelai looked up at him and batted her eyelashes as she shrugged out of her coat, letting it fall over the back of her chair. "Over easy?" she asked in a flirty voice.

Luke stopped breathing for a moment, trying his best to keep his gaze on her face, and not on the rich blue sweater that made his fingers itch to touch. "Apparently I am," he grumbled as he headed back to the kitchen.

Lorelai grinned at Rory and said, "Okay, I'm awake now."

Ten minutes later, Luke appeared with an armload of plates. "Pancakes, link sausage," he said as he set two plates in front of Rory. "Eggs over easy," he said as Lorelai shoved the napkin dispenser away to make room for her plates. "Side of bacon," he murmured as he set that plate next to the eggs. He placed the larger plate in front of her. Lorelai looked down and grinned as she saw that the three slices of thick French toast were snowed under by powdered sugar. "Three French toast," he pronounced gravely.

She looked up at Luke and met his expectant gaze with a beaming smile of approval. "Just like the French Alps. Thank you."

Luke nodded once, and moved back toward the counter to retrieve the coffee pot and make the rounds.

_tbc_


	2. Calls, Rings and Geese

Calls, Rings and Geese

**Thursday, December 28, 2000**

Lorelai held her robe closed as she hugged herself tightly, hopping from foot to foot. As soon as she heard his voice followed by a sharp beep, her teeth stopped chattering and she began talking. "Luke, it's me. Listen, I think something is wrong with the water heater thingy. I got in the shower this morning, and the water was kind of tepid, and by the time I got out, there were icicles hanging off of places where no icicle should ever from. Can you help me?" she said in a rush. "I have to go to work, and I know you're busy, it's just that…" she paused and dropped her voice a little even though she was alone in the room. "It's just, Christmas, well, it set me back a little and things were already kind of tight," she rambled. "I have the first of the month bills coming up, and I don't think I can afford to get a plumber out here right now," she confessed to his machine. She caught sight of her new alarm clock and saw that it was already twenty minutes past seven. "Aw, man, you're already downstairs. Why did I call the apartment?" she wondered to his machine. "Must be the brain freeze. I'll try you on the diner line," she said, and then hung up quickly.

Lorelai disconnected and quickly redialed. When he barked, 'Luke's!' she prepared to start the whole spiel over; hopefully this time avoiding the embarrassing parts about being broke. "My water heater is broken," she said without preamble.

"Who is this?" he demanded, straining to hear over the clatter of cutlery on plates and morning conversation.

"It's Lorelai, the woman soon to be known as Nanook of the North," she said with exasperation. "My water heater is wonky, and I need to know if you can look at it for me."

"Now? I'm in the middle of the breakfast rush," he said as he tucked the phone under his chin and delivered plates to customers sitting at the counter. He nodded to acknowledge a signal for refill, and spun to grab the coffee pot, twisting himself up in the cord.

"Well, not right now, but maybe in a little while?" she asked hopefully. "I can leave a note for Rory to go to Sookie's to shower."

"I'll get there as soon as I can," Luke told her.

"Thanks, Luke, I really appreciate it," she said, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She heard a plate crash to the floor and winced as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Gotta go," he snarled. She heard him muttering and cussing softly and then a definitive click as he hung up on her.

After getting ready for work, Lorelai scribbled a quick note to Rory and left it on the coffee maker. She checked the clock one more time and saw that she was already late, so she grabbed her purse and keys, shrugged into her coat and trotted out the front door with her gloves clenched between her teeth.

**

Early that afternoon, she checked in with Rory only to hear that there was still no hot water in the house. Lorelai hung up and dialed the diner number again.

"Luke's," the man himself answered distractedly.

"Hi, Luke, it's me again," Lorelai said, trying to sound casual.

"I went by, your thermal coupler was out, I called around and the closest one for your heater is in Litchfield. I'm leaving in five minutes to go and get it," he said in an irritated tone.

Lorelai cringed and bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I know it's a pain. It's just that, uh, is it, um, is the part thingy expensive?" she finally managed to ask.

Luke stopped rushing around behind the counter and said, "Oh no. No, it's not that. Taylor was just in here and he was ticking me off," he explained. "The part is less than twenty bucks. I'll go get it and you can just pay me back whenever," he said slowly, knowing that she would never simply let him pay for it.

"Whenever? I'm not sure that I can make that. Can I pay you the day after whenever?" she teased, a relieved smile brightening her face.

"Sure, that's fine," he answered, ducking his head as he chuckled softly. "I'll go pick it up, and then I'll be over."

"Thanks, Luke. I'd offer you my first born, but I've gotten pretty attached to her."

Luke smirked. "That's okay, I'll take the second," he said unthinkingly.

Lorelai blinked in surprise, and for once, couldn't come up with a quick comeback. "Uh, okay then," she managed at last.

Luke squeezed his eyes shut as the way his lame joke sounded finally registered. "I meant, uh… I'll pick up that part," he stammered. "It'll be fixed before you get home," he assured her and then quickly hung up.

**

Luke managed to fix the water heater and escape the house without having to see Rory or Lorelai. He was still mortified by the way he couldn't seem to stop slipping up around her lately. He'd always been so careful to keep his feelings under wraps, knowing that they probably wouldn't get the reception that he craved, fearful that if he went too far he'd lose her entirely. By the time he closed the diner that night, the wave of relief he had felt earlier had given way to a vague melancholy. It was always like this on the days when he didn't get to see her. Even a quick drive by coffee hit seemed to make his day feel right. The days when they didn't cross paths seemed to drag.

He trudged up the stairs and into his apartment, blinking to let his eyes adjust to the dim light provided by the single fixture lit over the sink. He pulled a carton of orange juice from the fridge and poured himself a tall glass. Leaning back against the sink, he closed his eyes as he downed the juice in four large gulps. When the glass was drained, Luke turned to place it in the sink and caught sight of the red light on his answering machine blinking steadily. With a slight frown, he crossed the room and pressed the play button, expecting to hear yet another desperate plea from Liz. Instead, Lorelai's voice rushed from the speaker, bringing an instant smile to his face. When her voice dropped, and she started to speak in that husky conspiratorial tone, Luke felt a shiver run up his spine. He frowned as he heard Lorelai Gilmore confess to not being able to afford to call a plumber, and knew that money must be even tighter than she let on if she would go so far as to admit it. He thought about the seventeen dollars he had spent on the part for her heater, and the hour or so he had spent fixing it and checking to be sure it was working properly, and mentally calculated that a plumber would have easily charged closed to two hundred dollars for the same call. Luke could not suppress his smile when he heard her ramble on as she realized that he was probably already at work for the morning.

The machine beeped to let him know that the message had ended, and Luke tossed his blue cap onto the couch and ran his hand through his hair as he moved to look out the apartment window. He vaguely heard the time stamp on the next message, but was lost in thought as he stared down at the snowy square. Suddenly, her voice filled the room again.

"Luke? Hey," she said softly. "Listen, I just wanted to thank you, I really appreciate your help with the thing. As a matter of fact, I really appreciate all of your help. I know I rely on you a lot, and I know that maybe I don't always tell you how much I appreciate that, but I do. I really do. You are a knight in plaid flannel," she said with a quick laugh. There was a long pause that made Luke straighten and turn toward the machine. He stared at it wondering if she was about to say something more, and wondering if he was ready to hear it, whatever it was.

Finally, Lorelai said in a much brighter tone, "Anyway, I do. Sooo, thanks again, and I'll pay you back for the part when I get paid next week, if that's okay. I checked the calendar and that seems to be the day after whenever. Oh, and while I'm running a tab, if you wanted to throw some pancakes and a couple of burgers on there, you know I'm good for it, right?" Luke chuckled softly and shook his head as he tucked his chin to his chest, unable to hide the smile that creased his face. "Okay, well, I'm about to go and take an extremely steamy bubble bath, and I just wanted you to know that I would be thinking of you the whole time." Luke's eyebrows lifted as he looked up at the machine in surprise. "I mean, because of the hot water," Lorelai stammered. "You are the hot water guy. The guy who provides hot water, not the hot guy who has water. Well you are a hot guy and you do have water, but you know what I mean, crap, uh, thanks for the bath," Lorelai said at last, and the message ended with a long beep.

"My pleasure," Luke murmured with a small smile as he reached out to press the rewind button on the machine.

As her voice filled his empty apartment again, Luke sank down onto the couch rubbing his finger over his lips as he listened carefully. When the second message had played through again, Luke smiled and realized that while he may not have actually seen her that day, four phone calls from Lorelai Gilmore in one day was definitely a personal best. He slumped back against the cushions as he reached up to rewind the tape again.

**Friday, December 29, 2000**

"What are you doing here?" Luke asked as Lorelai slipped onto her usual stool the following evening.

"I come for the love," Lorelai said with a smirk.

"It's Friday night," Luke pointed out.

Lorelai grinned and said, "Yes, I know."

"You usually have the dinner thing with your parents on Fridays."

"You are so observant! I never would have guessed that about you," Lorelai teased.

"Hard to miss when you come in here and beat your head against my counter every Friday night," Luke answered with a smirk.

"Once! I did that once," Lorelai protested.

"Left an impression," Luke said slowly. "Both on me, and on your head, I'd imagine."

"Look who's a comedian tonight," Lorelai mocked.

"So, no dinner?" Luke asked as he poured her mug of coffee.

"Nope. My parents are on their annually post-holiday jaunt to the sunny Caribbean, and I am footloose and fancy free," Lorelai said with a pleased smile.

"Where's Rory?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes and said, "Dean just got back from visiting his grandmother in Chicago, so I imagine that they are staring at each other like this right about now." Lorelai wove her fingers together and rested her chin on them as she looked up at him and batted her eyelashes furiously.

"That's sickening," Luke muttered as he turned to put the coffee pot back on the burner.

"Yes, well, it was a sadly accurate representation, I'm afraid," Lorelai said as she lifted the mug to her lips.

"Burger?" Luke asked with a sympathetic smile.

"Please, with fries," Lorelai answered with a smile. Luke turned toward the kitchen, and Lorelai reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his flannel to stop him. When he turned back, Lorelai glanced over her shoulder nervously and then whispered, "Are we okay with the tab thing?"

Luke rolled his eyes and asked, "You want cheese?"

"Yes. Both on the burger and the fries," Lorelai said with a relieved smile.

"Back in a minute," he said before disappearing into the kitchen.

Lorelai sat at the counter, occasionally glancing around the crowded diner as she waited. She waved to Babette and Morey, who were sharing what appeared to be a turkey club sandwich. She saw Babette hold a ketchup-drenched French fry up to Morey's lips and watched as he took it without question. With a tiny sigh Lorelai looked away in time to see Luke deliver an armload of plates to a neighboring table. She watched him, cocking her head to the side as he moved with a fluid grace that seemed incongruous in a guy so solid.

Luke spun on his heel to head back to the kitchen and caught her staring. He rolled his eyes and growled, "Its coming," as he passed the end of the counter.

Lorelai's blushed and stared down into her mug, vowing to keep her eyes to herself for the rest of her visit. She passed a few minutes by rearranging the sugar and sweetener packets so that they alternated colors in the small container in front of her. "Don't do that," Luke admonished gruffly as he slid her plate to the counter in front of her.

"It's prettier," Lorelai insisted as she pushed the sugar selection away.

"It confuses people. The next thing you know, some diabetic is dosing their coffee with the real stuff and I've got a case of hyperglycemia on my hands," Luke said as he placed a plate of fries and another plate with a handful of onion rings in front of her.

"Color blind diabetics?" Lorelai asked as she looked up at him with an amused smile.

"With glaucoma. They knitted those sweaters your mom gave you," Luke said with a nod.

"Nice," Lorelai answered with a devilish grin. She pointed to the onion rings and asked, "Did I order those?"

"Made too many for someone else's order, figured you wouldn't mind taking them off of my hands," Luke said with a shrug as he began to undo her careful arrangement of the packets.

Lorelai bit into a fry and asked, "Are there only so many rings in an order? Do you count them out?"

"No," Luke snorted.

"Well, how do I know, this could be a matter of strict inventory control." Lorelai eyed the rings again and asked, "How many is too many?"

"They didn't fit on the plate."

"I see," Lorelai said as she chewed thoughtfully. "So these five onion rings would have put the whole thing over the top? Caused a tragic onion ring avalanche?" she teased.

"Do you not want them?" Luke asked as he blew out an exasperated breath.

"Oh no, I'll take them," Lorelai said as she wrapped her arm around the plate and drew it closer to her protectively. "Look at how pretty they are. Almost perfectly matched," she said as she gazed at them adoringly.

"Aw, geez," Luke groaned.

Lorelai rearranged the rings on the plate and then grinned as she said, "Hey look, it's the Olympic rings! Quick, hum the theme song," she commanded.

Luke rolled his eyes and walked away. He snagged the coffee pot as he passed and started to make a round of refills. Lorelai chuckled as she picked up her burger, glancing down at the plate of onion rings as she prepared to take a bite. She paused; her hands froze with the burger poised at her lips. "Five golden rings," she murmured to herself. She turned her head and dared a quick peek at Luke as he listened patiently to Babette go on about something. Lorelai quick turned back to the counter and took a huge bite out of her burger, shaking her head as she dismissed the thought from her mind.

**Saturday, December 30, 2000**

"Luke's!" Luke said as he tucked the receiver under his chin.

"Hey, do you have one of those vacuums that sucks up anything?" Lorelai asked.

"What?"

"You know, the ones you're supposed to use to suck up rusty nails and spills and stuff. The kind that doesn't get all clogged up?" Lorelai asked in a rush.

"A shop vac?" Luke asked as he finally caught up.

"Yeah! Do you have one?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?" Luke said suspiciously.

"I need it."

"What do you need a shop vac for?"

"Goose feathers," Lorelai answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Of course," Luke mumbled.

"Can you bring it over? We've already gummed up one vacuum and I can't risk the other," she explained.

"You want me to bring my shop vac over so that you can suck up goose feathers?" Luke asked slowly.

"Yes. Room six," she added.

Luke blinked as he tried and failed to process the information she had given him. With a slight shrug he said, "Be there in fifteen minutes."

"Thanks, Luke," Lorelai said with a sigh of relief and then hung up.

Luke let the receiver slide from his ear and caught it in his hand. He stared at it blankly for a moment, and then put it on the cradle as he called, "Caesar? I'm going out for a while!"

**

Twenty minutes later, Luke stood in the hall with his enormous shop vac by his side, and tapped on the door to room number six. When the door swung open, his jaw dropped. "What the…" he breathed.

"The Coleman kids stayed in this room," Lorelai said in a defeated tone. "Apparently they thought it would be funny to slit the feather pillows and shove them back into the cases."

"Kids did this?" Luke asked as he gestured to the room. "It looks like the Rolling Stones were bunking with The Who for the night, and the guys from Led Zeppelin stopped by."

"I know, and we're booked solid this week. I have to get this room cleaned up because we have guests arriving in approximately, oh, two hours," she said snidely as she glared at the bedside clock, which had been smeared with what appeared to be ketchup.

"Where were their parents?" Luke asked as he rolled the shop vac into the room.

"Oh, they were a snuggled up in room five. Left it neat as a pin," Lorelai said, a hysterical laugh bubbling up.

Luke turned to look at her and said calmly, "It's just a mess. We'll get it cleaned up."

"I have two maids out sick. Poor Kim is trying to get six more rooms turned over. I was helping, and then we came in here," she said panic creeping into her voice.

Luke nodded as he surveyed the goose feathers and down that blanketed the bed and carpet. He turned to look at Lorelai and without thinking, plucked a tiny feather from her hair. He held it up for her to see, and then let it fall to the floor with the others. "So, when the pillowcases came off?"

"Yep, winter wonderland," Lorelai said with a nod.

Luke took a deep breath and unwound the power cord. As he plugged it into the wall he asked, "How old were these kids?"

"Ugh, early teens," Lorelai said as she grabbed a bottle spray cleanser and attacked the clock with a wad of paper towels. She glanced over and spotted the small smile that curved Luke's lips and gasped, "You think it's funny?"

Luke gestured to the discarded pillowcases and the remains of the pillows themselves on the bed and said, "Oh, come on, you have to admit that was pretty slick for a couple of kids."

"Yes, they're evil geniuses," Lorelai said in a low threatening voice.

"Sorry, I'm on it," Luke said quickly. He hit the power button and the shop vac roared to life.

_tbc_


	3. Swans, Maids and Dancing Girls

Swans, Maids and Dancing Girls

**Sunday, December 31, 2000**

Lorelai smiled as Rory fled the diner in search of Dean and slipped from her chair. She strolled up to the counter and smiled as Luke looked up from his receipts. "Hey, how's my tab looking?"

"Pretty hefty. I plan to use it to retire to Boca and take up golf," Luke said as he set his pen down next to the stack he had been sorting.

"Big plans for tonight?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh yeah, well, you know me, the party never stops," Luke said as he tugged at his ear nervously.

"Once I get done at the inn, I thought I'd swing by Miss Patty's party. You should come," she said, hoping that he didn't pick up on the slight quaver in her voice.

Luke winced and shoved his hands into his jeans pockets as he shifted from foot to foot and said, "Parties aren't really my thing."

"But its New Year's Eve," Lorelai protested.

"Especially New Year's parties," Luke added gruffly.

"What? Are you planning on pulling a Harry Burns and staying home with Dick Clark, a box of Mallomars and a teeny tiny basketball hoop?" she demanded.

"What?" Luke asked, clearly missing her reference.

"While I can understand the lure of Mallomars, the New Year's Rockin' Eve and mini basketball hoop are just too sad, Luke," she said sternly.

"I just don't like big crowds of people. Especially not big crowds of drunk people," Luke said dismissively.

Lorelai shook her head sadly and looked up at him from under her lashes as she said, "Your loss."

Luke's eyes narrowed slightly as he digested her words. "We'll see, okay?" he said at last.

Lorelai nodded and said, "Well, if I don't see you, Happy New Year, Luke."

"Happy New Year," he answered automatically as he watched her walk to the door. She flashed him one last smile, and then she was gone.

**

Later that night, the noise from Patty's party hummed through his apartment windows like a gnat he couldn't swat. He stood up and walked to the windows, watching as the door opened and a couple he couldn't identify from that distance stumbled out of the studio, their lips locked together as if they were sharing a lung. He looked over at the television and shook his head at the old black and white western he had landed on a few minutes before. There was a burst of laughter from the street below, and Luke turned back to the window. He pressed his lips together, looked down at the ancient sweats he had changed into after closing the diner, and then at his closet, mentally running its inventory through his mind.

Thirty minutes later, he was freshly showered and dressed in his blue 'going to the bank' shirt and his darkest pair of jeans. Luke shrugged into his black cloth jacket, knowing that it was too light for the cold winter's night, but wanting something a little nicer than his old army surplus jacket. He checked his reflection in the mirror, dragged the comb through his hair one last time, and then hesitated for a moment as he reached to open the medicine cabinet. Finally, with a slight shrug, he grabbed the lone bottle of cologne on the shelf, and dabbed a little on. He wiped his palms on his jeans, nodded to himself in the mirror and then hurried for the door before he could change his mind.

Lorelai wandered slowly through the crowd with her third cup of Patty's lethal punch in hand, but as of yet, untouched. She was already feeling the effects of the first two, but desperately needed something to hold in her hands. She spotted Sookie arguing with Jackson over baby carrots, and smiled, wondering when their particular brand of flirting would come to fruition, so to speak. She smiled at her own little joke, trying to ignore the couple necking behind the yoga mats, and the myriad of couples swaying cheek to cheek as Tony Bennett sang. She took a sip of the punch, smiling as people passed by, holding the glittery tiara in place on her head as she forced yet another smile. She turned her head and took a series of baby steps in order to align herself properly to read the watch worn by the man next to her. Eleven-thirty. She looked over at the door which hadn't opened in the last thirty minutes, and wondered to herself why it should matter if Luke didn't show.

Lorelai straightened her shoulders, tossed her hair back and took a deep breath as she assured herself that it certainly didn't matter to her if he chose to be a stick in the mud. She tossed back a healthy swallow of her punch and then set her sights on Little Pete from the nursery, intent on dancing until she dropped. As she crossed the room, Lorelai downed the rest of her punch and dropped the crumpled paper cup she crumpled into a trash can near the door. She looked down, straightened the short black skirt that she wore, and once again, checked to be sure that her tiara was firmly in place. As she took a step forward, she heard the door roll open and closed again.

"Hey," Luke called to her as he stepped inside the overheated studio slipping his jacket from his shoulders.

Lorelai spun around, her face lighting as she spotted him hovering just inside the door, folding his jacket over his arm nervously. "Hey! You made it!" Lorelai cried as she rushed to him and threw her arms around him in a sloppy hug.

Luke chuckled and caught her as she bounced lightly off of his chest. "Yeah, I did."

"Whoo! Solid," Lorelai said with an exaggerated nod, patting his chest. Impulsively, she stretched up and kissed his cheek, her lips narrowly missing his mouth

"How much punch have you had?" he asked with a laugh.

Lorelai struggled to keep her face sober as she looked up at him solemnly and said, "Probably too much."

Luke couldn't repress his smile as he looked down into her dancing blue eyes. "Well, as long as you're aware of that."

"I," she pronounced grandly, "was about to dance. All I needed was a partner, and I think you'll do," she said as she grabbed him by the front of his shirt and started to pull him toward the front of the studio where the couples swayed in time with the music.

"Hey, hey, hold up!" Luke said as he tossed his jacket at a nearby chair and followed her reluctantly.

"Gotta dance, Burger Boy," she called over her shoulder. When she reached the edge of the dance floor, she spun and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing into him sinuously as her body immediately found the rhythm.

Luke caught her, his hands warm and gentle as they spanned her waist. "You never said anything about dancing," he said in a low soft voice as she snuggled into his shoulder.

"Didn't I?" she asked innocently.

"No," he whispered.

"Don't you like dancing?" she asked as he lifted her head to look him in the eye.

"It's not so bad," he said with a sly smile.

Lorelai's bright smile warmed him as she pressed her cheek to his shoulder again. The scent of her shampoo tickled his nose and her body was warm and soft as she swayed against him. Luke slid on hand up to the center of her back, holding her there, as Lorelai stepped lightly on his toe. He chuckled softly and murmured, "Drunk dancer."

"Ticket me," she answered contentedly.

"Why, Luke! I never thought I'd see you here!" Patty exclaimed as she danced past them with a man six inches shorter than she.

"Hi, Patty," Luke answered with a grimace.

"Lorelai, I can't believe you managed to lure him out of his cave. Of course, if I still had legs like yours, I would have done the job myself," she purred. "Excellent work," she said with a grin.

"Uh, thanks Patty," Lorelai said as she loosened her hold on Luke and took a cautious step back. As the other couple circled away from them, she stared at the open neck of his shirt as she mumbled, "Sorry."

"No big deal," Luke said as they somehow managed to lose the beat.

Lorelai's hand slid from his shoulder down his chest and then fell to her side as he reluctantly released her. "Hey, you want some punch?" she asked in an overly bright tone.

"God, no," Luke growled.

"Well, I do," Lorelai muttered as she turned and started for the refreshment table.

Luke caught up to her and gently grabbed her arm as he asked, "How about I make you some coffee?"

"I'm not that drunk," she insisted as she swayed on her feet.

"Oh, no, I just meant that you like coffee," Luke said casually.

"It's not even midnight, we can't leave yet," Lorelai pointed out.

"Midnight will still come if we leave here," Luke assured her with a short laugh. "Come on, it's hot in here. We'll make some coffee, maybe take a walk. It's started to snow," he added, playing his trump card.

Lorelai smiled at him affectionately and said, "That only works for the first snow of the season, but, okay, yeah. It is hot in here," she said with a nod.

"Where's your coat?" Luke asked.

"Over there somewhere," Lorelai said as she pointed in the general direction of the door.

"Let's go," he said as his hand slipped down to hers, and he led her through the crush of people to get to the entrance.

Once they had located and donned their outerwear, Luke pulled the door open and gestured for Lorelai to precede him. An icy gust of wind stole Lorelai's breath and assaulted her bare legs as she shivered in her long wool coat. "Maybe not a walk," Luke said as he caught up to her on the steps.

"No," she agreed through chattering teeth. They walked quickly toward the diner, ducking their heads against the stiff wind. Lorelai's shoe caught a patch of ice on the sidewalk and she pin-wheeled her arms to catch her balance.

In a flash, Luke's arm was at her waist, steadying her as he murmured, "I've got ya."

"Thanks," she whispered as she looked up at him, catching a whiff of his cologne and leaning in a little closer.

Luke kept his arm securely around her as they walked the rest of the way to Luke's. He unlocked the door and flipped on the lights, but Lorelai shook her head. "Where are those little lampy things?" she asked.

"Hang on," Luke said as she rummaged beneath the counter and pulled out two of the tiny table lamps he used in the evenings. He flipped the switches on two of the battery powered lamps and set them out on the counter. "Better?"

"Much," Lorelai said as she turned out the overhead lights and then let her coat slide from her shoulders, falling to the floor in a heap. Luke picked up one of the lamps and set it next to the coffee maker before he filled a filter and started the machine. Lorelai blinked blearily as she tried to hoist herself up onto a stool, but found she wasn't having much success. "I guess the punch is catching up to me. I'm punch drunk," she giggled.

Luke chuckled as he watched the coffee begin to dribble into the pot and then poured hot water into a mug to make himself some tea. "I think it may be the combination of vodka, gin, whisky, and God knows what else Patty throws in there. Probably lighter fluid. The punch itself is the least of your worries."

"It tastes so good, though," Lorelai said as she swayed with her hands braced on the counter.

"That's the lethal part," Luke agreed.

"Have you ever had it?" she asked.

"I grew up here, of course I've had it."

"You get drunk?" Lorelai asked with a goofy grin.

"Uh, yeah," Luke said with a snort.

"I can't see you drunk," Lorelai said as she shook her head.

"Just picture me, only stupider."

"Still can't see it," Lorelai insisted as she made another attempt at the stool.

"Here," Luke said as he hustled out from behind the counter and pulled a chair from a tabletop. He patted the back of the seat and said, "Much safer."

Lorelai pointed at him as she weaved her way to the table. "I bet you're a funny drunk. I mean, you're pretty funny in that dry, sarcastic kind of way, which I like, just for the record," she said as she held up one hand defensively. "But I bet you're funny, funny when you're drunk."

"I'm a regular Richard Pryor," Luke said with a chuckle, picking up her coat and draping it over the abandoned stool as he went to pour her coffee.

"You don't set yourself on fire, do you?" Lorelai gasped.

"Not so far," Luke said as he carried their mugs and a lamp to the table. Lorelai grabbed his hand and pressed it between hers. She smiled up at him happily and said, "You are a god, a coffee god."

"Thanks," Luke chuckled as he pulled the other chair down and sank down onto it in one move. He shrugged out of his jacket, unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt and flipped them back with practiced ease.

Lorelai watched him curiously, her eyes fixed on his forearms as he reached for his mug of tea and pulled it across the table. "So, you came out tonight. Any particular reason?" she asked.

"Nothing good on TV," Luke answered nonchalantly.

"Ah, yes. Well, you should have gone to my house, Rory and Lane are having a Rob Reiner retrospective."

"The guy from _All in the Family_?" Luke asked as he sipped his tea.

Lorelai laughed and said, "Well, yeah, but he's also a director now."

"Oh. I didn't know that," Luke said with a shrug.

"You've never seen _Stand by Me_? _The Princess Bride_? _This is Spinal Tap_?" she asked, incredulous. When Luke shook his head, Lorelai gaped at him for a moment and then asked, "You've never seen _When Harry Met Sally_?"

"Nope. I don't think so," Luke answered calmly.

"Luke, Luke, Luke," Lorelai said sadly as she shook her head. "No wonder you didn't get my Harry Burns bit earlier."

"Sorry," he said with a shrug. "I don't have a lot of time to watch TV. And then when I do, it's usually just news or sports," he admitted.

Lorelai reached across the table and covered his hand with hers. "Luke, you have to make time for the things that are important in life," she said with alcohol fueled intensity.

Luke smirked as he nodded and said, "I'll try to remember to do that."

Lorelai patted his hand as she pulled back and said, "You do that." She let her head fall back slightly, rolling her neck from side to side to work the kinks out of it. "What a week," she sighed.

"Yeah. Long on, huh?"

"Did I thank you for helping me yesterday?" she asked with a worried frown.

"It was no problem," he said as he waved it off.

"It was. It was a big fat feathery problem," she grumbled. Luke smiled, and she pointed at him accusingly as she said, "Don't laugh!"

"You had feathers in your hair," he chuckled.

"Well, call me Pocahontas," Lorelai drawled. "Stupid kids."

"Aw, come on, surely you can admit now that it was a pretty good prank," Luke cajoled. "Aside from the whole destruction of property thing."

"I cannot admit that, and stop calling me Shirley," she retorted.

"I did see that movie," Luke said quickly as he pointed at her triumphantly.

"Hang on, I'll get you a cookie," she said with a snort. "Stupid geese, with their stupid feathers a laying all over my perfect room. I'm ordering only foam pillows from now on," she said with a drunken, yet decisive nod.

"The geese had nothing to do with it," Luke pointed out.

"I don't care. Guilt by association. Plus, I never liked geese, I like swans," Lorelai said as she tipped her chin up defiantly.

"Swans? Swans are mean, you know," Luke chuckled.

"Swans are pretty. They remind me of my favorite pair of jeans ever," Lorelai said in a dreamy voice.

"Jeans?" Luke asked with a bewildered frown.

"They were Gloria Vanderbilts. I got them in seventh grade, and they were the coolest, best fitting, most fantastical jeans I have ever owned," Lorelai said in a dreamy voice. "I wanted seven pairs all exactly like that, one for every day of the week, but since I wore a uniform to school, my mother said it was impractical to have that many pairs of jeans," she said with a sigh. "She just didn't want me to have more because they were jeans, and they looked great on me," she asserted.

"I bet they did," Luke murmured softly.

"They had this little swan sewn onto the little coin pocket, you know? Man, I loved those jeans," she said with a gusty sigh. She looked up and saw Luke watching her carefully. "I love swans," she said softly.

Luke nodded and said, "Swans are pretty, as long as you don't get too close."

"I'm drunk," she whispered.

Luke stood up and said, "I should get you home." He offered her his hand to help her from the chair, and Lorelai swayed against him lightly as she stood.

"What time is it?" she asked softly.

Luke held his watch up to the lamp and said, "About 3 minutes to twelve."

Lorelai nodded as she held onto his arm to steady herself. "Close enough, right?" she asked as she looked up at him.

"Probably."

Lorelai nodded and then whispered, "Happy New Year, Luke."

"Happy New Year," he wished her in a low deep voice.

Lorelai pressed her palm to his cheek and rose up on her toes to touch her lips softly to his. She watched his long dark eyelashes flutter as he opened his eyes again and found herself falling into their depths. "I can do better," she murmured, and pressed her lips to his again.

Luke had just managed to overcome his shock and began to kiss her back when she pulled away, blinking up at him uncertainly. Their eyes remained locked on one another, so it was unclear who moved first. Suddenly, his lips found hers again as he buried his hand in her hair, and Lorelai's fingers curled into the crisp cotton of his shirt. Her lips parted slightly under the force of the kiss, and a soft moan escaped her throat. As quickly as it started, the kiss ended with Luke rocking back on his heels and staring at her wordlessly.

"Say something," Lorelai whispered.

Luke swallowed hard, forcing all of the words that he longed to say to her down, as he brushed her hair back over her shoulder affectionately. "I should take you home," he said quietly.

Lorelai frowned for a moment, her muddled brain trying to decipher if he meant home, home or up to his apartment. Her questions were answered as Luke walked over to the stool and picked up her coat. He shook it out, holding it open for her to slip into. Once it was settled on her shoulders, he gently pulled her hair free from the collar and then grasped her shoulders to help her balance. When she started for the door, Luke held her firm. She turned to look at him confusion clearly written all over her face, and a spark of hope warming her inside. He took her arm and started to lead her toward the curtain. "Why Mr. Danes, where are you taking me?" she drawled in her best southern belle voice.

"It's too cold out to walk. I'll drive you home," was all he said.

"Oh. Okay thanks," Lorelai replied, hoping to mask the disappointment in her voice.

The ride home was short and silent, the old truck's heater barely warming by the time they reached her driveway. He pulled to a stop, and Lorelai twisted her chilled fingers together in her lap. When he turned to face her, all she could say was, "Sorry, about, you know, before."

"It's okay," he said quietly.

"I just, you're supposed to kiss someone at midnight, you know? I think its bad luck if you don't, and I really don't need any bad luck right now. So, hopefully, you'll bring me good luck. Which is good. And you'd have good luck too…"

Luke smiled as she started to ramble, and cut her off the most effective way that he knew how. His lips touched hers so softly that it barely managed to slow her words.

"And who doesn't need good luck?" she asked as she wound her arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss, sandwiching his bottom lip between hers and drawing on it lightly before she pulled away.

Luke groaned softly and then whispered, "I'll take all the luck I can get." He pulled her across the seat, kissing her ardently, his tongue seeking hers, his hands on her face, cool against her flushed cheeks. He could taste coffee mixed with the sticky sweet flavor of the punch, he could smell the alcohol on her breath, he could feel her soft and pliant in his arms, molding to him, arching into him, and for a moment, he didn't care. For a moment, he thought that when you are kissing Lorelai Gilmore, a guy could almost be justified if he forgot the rules. They parted breathless and wide eyed, her fingertips grazing his jaw, his feathering over her temple and gently brushing her hair back from her face. "You've had too much to drink," he said gruffly.

"Not that much," she protested.

Luke winced slightly as he said, "Yeah, but enough." He kissed her lightly and said, "I'll probably kick my own ass for this for the rest of my days, but I think I should walk you to your door now."

"I'm not that drunk," Lorelai insisted.

Luke shook his head and said, "You're not thinking clearly," as he reluctantly pulled away and reached for the door handle. "I'll get your door," he said as he climbed from the truck.

When her feet hit the ground, Lorelai's head began to spin. Whether it was the punch or his kisses, she couldn't say, but as she sagged against him she knew that he would catch her. "Easy now," he cautioned as he draped her arm over his shoulders and wrapped his firmly around her waist. They walked slowly toward the house, the frigid wind licking at their overheated cheeks and tossing Lorelai's hair. As he helped her climb the porch steps he asked, "Do you have your key?"

"S'unlocked," Lorelai slurred.

"Of course it is," Luke grumbled as he opened the door, only to be met with the sound of the stereo blaring.

"Mommy's home, and she has an escort!" Lorelai called as they stumbled into the house.

"Mom?" Rory called as she walked into the foyer. "Wow. Hi," Rory said with a laugh. "Hey, Luke."

Luke nodded to Lorelai as she slumped against his side and said, "She, uh, had a little punch."

"Yes, I've seen this phenomenon before," Rory said with a sage nod.

"You want me to get her up the stairs?" he asked.

"Couch," Lorelai mumbled.

"The couch will be fine," Rory told him as she followed them into the living room. Lorelai flopped heavily onto the couch , her head falling back against the cushion as she stared up at Luke, searching her mind for the right words to say. "Thanks for bringing her home," Rory said sincerely.

Luke only nodded and backed away uncomfortably. "Sure, no problem. Gotta take care of my best customers, right?" he said with a nervous chuckle. He glanced at Rory and asked, "You sure you don't need any help?"

"I've got her from here," Rory assured him as she ushered him toward the front door.

Luke nodded and said, "Uh, okay, well, call if you need anything."

"We'll be fine."

"Night, Rory," he said gruffly as he opened the front door.

"Night, Luke," Lorelai called weakly.

"Night," he called back to her, and then quickly made his escape. He trotted out to his truck and slammed the door behind him. The engine roared to life with a twist of his wrist, but all he could think about was her. He gripped the steering wheel and gazed at the Jeep parked in front of him. "I kissed Lorelai Gilmore," he said softly. He shook his head and put the truck in reverse. As he hooked his arm over the back of the seat and began to slowly back down the drive, he smirked at himself and said, "Actually, Lorelai Gilmore kissed me." He pulled onto the street and put the truck into gear. "Infinitely better," he told himself as he pointed the old green Chevy toward home.

**Monday, January 1, 2001**

"Kill me now," Lorelai groaned as she squeezed the pillow over her face.

"I'm pretty sure that you can't suffocate yourself that way. I think your survival instinct will kick in," Rory said helpfully as she finished straightening up the living room from the previous night's film fest.

"Water," Lorelai croaked.

"Right next to you," Rory said in an exasperated tone.

"I can't reach," Lorelai whined as she flailed around helplessly.

"You know, you'd get more sympathy if this wasn't self-inflicted," Rory said as she picked up the bottle of water and pressed it into Lorelai's grasping hand.

"You don't know, you don't know," Lorelai moaned dramatically.

Rory cocked her head and said, "Maybe you should take a shower. It might make you feel better."

Lorelai snorted, and then pressed her hand to her head as she groaned her regret. "I can't shower, I'll drown." She stared at the bottle of water and then said, "That's not a bad idea. Run me a bath, will you?" she asked wretchedly.

Rory rolled her eyes and said, "I'm sorry, today is not my day to be your accomplice."

"Every day is your day to be my accomplice," Lorelai retorted.

"I'm going now, Lane ran home to get her money and then we are going to hit the bookstore and the library," she said with a nod.

"Oooh, can you go to Luke's and get my something greasy? Tell Luke just to put it on my tab," she said with a wave of her hand.

"Nope, but you can go to Luke's and tell him that," Rory answered as she tossed her messenger bag over her shoulder.

"I can't go to Luke's!" Lorelai blurted.

"Sure you can. He was nice enough to haul you home last night, I'm sure he'll take pity on you," Rory said as she headed for the door.

Lorelai gaped at the clothes she had slept in all night and said, "Rory, look at me, I'm at least three hours from a shower, eight hours from walking upright," she protested. "You're going to leave me here to starve?"

"Pop Tarts in the cabinet," Rory called as she closed the door a little too loudly.

Lorelai winced and sunk back down on the couch. She pulled the pillow back over her head to block the bright early morning sunshine. "I can't go to Luke's," she murmured to the pillow. "I kissed Luke. I kissed Luke a lot," she whispered.

**

The bells jingled as Rory swung through the diner door and walked straight up to the counter. Luke finished pouring a cup of coffee for another customer and then turned to her. "Hey," he said with a nod.

"Hi, Luke. Can I get a cup of that to go?"

"Sure," Luke replied as he reached for a to-go cup. "You're up early, it's barely eight."

"Big book sale today."

"Ah, I see. Uh, how's your mom?" he asked without looking up at her.

"Suffering. It's good for her. Mrs. Kim always preaches the power of penance, so I'm taking a page from her book today," Rory said with a grin.

"Feeling pretty rough, huh?"

"I think rough would be an upgrade," Rory said as she took the cup. Rory hesitated, glancing down at the coffee in her hand as she bit her lip. Finally, she sighed and said, "Okay, I suck at the tough love. Can you make me up some hangover food so I can run it home to her?" she asked.

Luke smirked and said, "Tell you what, half the town is hanging by their toenails today. I'll make her some food and mix up a little concoction that my dad used to make when my uncle spent too much quality time with Johnnie Walker and take it over to her."

"Would you?" Rory asked hopefully. "That would be great. It's Andrew's New Year's clearance sale, and I want to get to the bookstore before all that's left are self- help books," she explained.

"No problem," Luke answered with a nod.

"Thanks, Luke," Rory said with a bright smile. "Uh, add this to Mom's tab?" she asked as she pointed to the cup.

"I've got it," he said as he held up one hand in a half wave.

"You're the best," Rory said as she opened the door and then hurried toward the bookstore clutching her coffee.

**

Twenty minutes later, Luke stood on Lorelai's porch with a bag of food, and a beverage tray holding three to-go cups. He rapped lightly on the door with his knuckles, and then twisted the knob to open it a crack. He heard Lorelai groan, "Go away, and let me die in peace."

"Hey, it's Luke," he called, careful to keep his voice low and soft.

"Luke!" Lorelai gasped as she sat straight up on the couch.

Taking her acknowledgement as an invitation, Luke stepped inside, closing the door softly behind him. His boots squeaked slightly on the wood floor as he walked into the room saying, "I brought food."

Lorelai quickly smoothed her hands over her hair, trying in vain to tame the tangled curls into submission. "Food?" she asked cautiously.

"Yeah," Luke answered as he set the bag and tray down on the coffee table. He smirked as he pulled one of the cups from the tray. "You look like crap," he said gruffly as he handed her the cup.

"Well, aren't you the sweet talker," Lorelai said as she snatched it from his fingers, careful not to touch him. "If it makes you feel superior, I feel worse than I look. You may have to bury me eight feet under, because I think I may me too toxic for six." She took a greedy sip from the to-go cup and then choked and sputtered as she tried to swallow what was in her mouth. "What is this?" she demanded.

"Hangover cure," he said with a shrug.

"I thought it was coffee," Lorelai said indignantly.

"No. V-8, a shot of vodka and some other stuff that you don't want to know about," he told her.

"Vodka?"

"Hair of the dog," he answered with a small smile. "My dad used to make it for my Uncle Louie. Louie swore by it."

"Are any of those coffee?" she asked as she eyed the tray suspiciously.

Luke nodded. "The other two are, but you need to drink that first. Just think of it as kind of a revved up Bloody Mary."

"But there's no celery," Lorelai pointed out.

"Are you seriously complaining to me about a lack of vegetables?" he asked with a laugh.

"No."

"The celery is in the V-8 juice," he told her.

"So, if I drink this, I get all that?" she asked, giving him a hard stare.

"That's the deal."

Lorelai nodded and said, "Okay, but don't watch."

"I won't," he promised as he turned away slightly. When she raised the cup to her nose to sniff it, Luke grumbled, "Just drink it."

"You aren't supposed to be watching," she shot back.

"Fine," he said with a sigh.

Lorelai pinched her nose, and gulped the vile drink down, desperate for any relief that she could find. "Here," she gasped as she waved the empty cup at him.

Luke turned and took the cup from her fingers before handing her the bag. "So, last night was, uh, different," he said as he busied himself with freeing a cup of coffee from the tray.

Lorelai winced and groaned as she said, "I guess since you were sober that it was too much to hope that you had forgotten that."

"Um, yeah, no, I remember," he said, not meeting her eyes as he handed the to-go cup to her.

"I'm sorry, Luke. I made things awkward between us, and I am so, so sorry," Lorelai said in a rush.

"It's okay," Luke said quickly.

"No, I mean, I'd had a little too much punch, and it was New Year's and I was alone and you were alone," she said quietly.

"I know."

"And you, you are the perfect gentleman," she said with a nervous laugh. "Your mom would have been proud."

"Uh, thanks," he said gruffly.

"Are we, can we just, you know… What's a few kisses between friends, right?" Lorelai asked desperately.

"Right," Luke managed to force the word through his clenched teeth. "No big deal. We're fine," he said in a low throaty voice.

"Really?"

"Really," he said shortly.

Lorelai smiled for the first time since she unglued her eyelids, a relieved breath whooshing from her lungs. "I'm so glad that we could, that you understand. I mean, you know that I don't usually go around throwing myself at my friends."

"Sure, totally," Luke said a little too quickly. "Listen, uh, I have to get back. I just wanted to drop this by. Rory said you were feeling pretty bad this morning," he added as he backed toward the door.

"I appreciate it, Luke. Everything," Lorelai said as she gave him a tremulous smile. "Oh! Luke? One more thing?" she called hopefully.

Luke poked his head back into the room and asked, "What?"

"Can you hand me the remote?" she asked as she pointed to the television.

Luke rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Now you're just milking this," as he snatched the remote control from atop the TV and handed it to her.

"Thank you!" she called after him sweetly as he turned and fled.

**Tuesday, January 2, 2001**

Lorelai breezed into the diner the following morning bright and early. "Hellllooooo?" she called as the bells pealed madly. She waved to Kirk and set her purse on the counter as she waited for Luke to appear.

Luke stepped out of the kitchen wiping his hands on a towel and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Getting coffee," she said with a grin.

"It's not even seven yet," he pointed out as he automatically began pouring her a to-go cup of coffee.

Lorelai frowned at the cup and muttered, "I guess I'm not staying."

"Oh, did you want it for here? I just figure since you only said coffee, you were on your way to work," Luke said as he glanced over at her but didn't meet her gaze.

"Oh, um, to-go is fine," she said with a wave of her gloved hand. She smiled brightly at him as he pressed the lid on and handed her the cup.

"You're awfully damn perky this morning," he grumbled.

"Well, I slept for eighteen hours yesterday," she said pointedly. "And I have to tell you, your dad's nasty brew? It works, thank you." She shrugged and said, "I figured that since I have had enough sleep to last me until March, I'd just go in early."

"Wow, very productive," Luke said with a smirk.

"Annnnd," she said dramatically. "It's payday, so started totaling up that tab, mister!" she said with a nod.

"Don't worry about it," Luke said dismissively.

"No, no, Luke, I am paying you back," she insisted. "So while I am toiling away at the inn today, I want you to add it all up. I'll hit the bank on my way home, and I am paying you back every penny."

"Fine, whatever."

Lorelai turned her smile up a notch. "Okay. Well, have a good day, then," she said, puzzled by his standoffish attitude.

"Yeah, go catch that worm," Luke said as he turned to go back into the kitchen.

"Okay, uh, okay," Lorelai said as she hesitated for a moment, and then decided to leave it alone. She opened the door and was hit with a blast of arctic air. "Damn Canadians and their fronts," she muttered as she pulled the door shut behind her.

Luke leaned back against the prep counter and rubbed his hand tiredly over his face. "Eighteen hours," he muttered under his breath, thinking about the possibly two hours of sleep he had gotten the night before. He had tossed and turned all night, torn between frustration and anger. Frustrated by her ability to casually dismiss what had happened on New Year's Eve, and angry at himself for letting himself believe that could actually be happening between them. He shook his head to clear it, determined to put her out of his mind for the rest of the day, telling himself that he should be glad that their friendship wasn't in tatters. He moved easily around the kitchen, seeking solace in routine, trying to convince himself that a few kisses between friends should change anything, and wishing that they hadn't changed everything.

**

Late that afternoon, Lorelai rushed through the door complaining, "Man, it must have dropped another ten degrees out there!"

"Supposed to be nine below tonight," Luke said as he wiped the counter.

"I can believe it, it's insanely cold out there," she said as she hugged herself tightly, dancing from foot to foot.

"Well, it would help if you chose a coat that actually had a lining and a hat that actually covered your ears," Luke said dryly.

"Aw, are you worried about me?" Lorelai cooed.

"I'm just saying you'd be warmer if you dressed weather appropriate, that's all."

"She froze for fashion," Lorelai said with a sassy grin as she dropped her purse and a bag of DVDs on the counter. "I came to pay the Man, so he can get his foot offa my throat," she said with a wide smile.

Luke nodded once, walked over to the register, and tore a ticket off of the order pad he had left sitting there. He slid it across the counter to her, and walked away. Lorelai scanned the ticket and then turned to follow him. "Luke, it has to be more than this. I know that both Rory and I ate at least one meal a day, and sometimes two here last week," she argued.

"That's all that I could remember," Luke said as he cleared a recently vacated table.

"And the part was only $16.99?" she asked suspiciously.

"I have a receipt for that," Luke said as he pointed to the ticket.

"Okay, well, good. I'm adding twenty dollars to your total for all of the things you left off," she said with a decisive nod.

"No. No way," Luke said as he brushed past her with a handful of dirty dishes.

"Try to stop me," she challenged.

Luke's eyes widened slightly as she tipped her chin up defiantly and all he could think about was kissing her. When his eyes dropped to her lips, Lorelai wet them nervously and said, "At least ten," breaking the spell.

"You suck at negotiation," Luke said with a chuckle, hoping to dispel the tension that filled the room. "Ten is good," he said with a nod, knowing that he'd never win going head to head with her.

"Good," Lorelai said as she opened her purse and dug out some cash. She added the full twenty on and handed it to him as she said, "The rest is your tip."

Luke rolled his eyes and tucked the bills into his shirt pocket without looking at them. "I'll apply this to your tab and leave a running balance," he countered with a smirk.

Lorelai rolled her eyes back at him and said, "This is why they don't call us in on the mid-east peace talks."

"Exactly," he drawled.

Lorelai grabbed her purse and the video bag and said, "Okay, I have to go. Rory and I are having a _Dirty Dancing_ Marathon tonight."

"Marathon? Are you just going to watch it over and over?"

"No, we have _Dirty Dancing_, and _Dirty Dancing II: Havana Nights_," she said in a haughty tone.

Luke shuddered visibly and muttered, "Have fun."

"We will," Lorelai said primly. "We put the movie in and then dance all over the living room. Nobody puts Lorelai in a corner!" she said as she pointed a finger at him.

"I bet that's quite a show," Luke said in a snarky tone.

Lorelai smiled, happy that they seemed to be getting back onto familiar ground. "I'll have you know that I am an excellent dirty dancer. At least nines from every judge," she said as she demonstrated by circling her hips enticingly. When she saw Luke's eyebrows lift, she stopped abruptly. "I'm a dancing queen," she said, attempting to recover her faltering composure.

Luke looked at her, meeting her gaze boldly. "I've danced with you, my toes are still recovering," he said gruffly.

The breath rushed from her lungs as his words struck home. "Yeah, well, maybe it was you," she said as she backed toward the door.

"Doubt it," Luke answered evenly.

"Uh, whatever," she stammered as she reached for the handle. Her composure fled, and so did Lorelai, calling, "I have to go, Rory's waiting. See you later!" as she dashed out into the frozen night.

_tbc_


	4. Lords, Pipers and Drummers

**Wednesday, January 3, 2001**

Unlike the night before, Luke Danes slept like a baby after his confrontation with Lorelai. The hesitation in her voice, and the obvious shock on her face when he mentioned their New Year's Eve dance was not lost on him. No, if nothing else, it gave him hope. He drifted off to sleep knowing that she was not as ambivalent about what had happened between them as she wanted to be, as she wanted him to believe she was. And so, he awoke refreshed and renewed, and ready to push her buttons for a change. He hummed as he moved through the darkened diner preparing to open. He flipped on the lights, and scanned the sidewalk for the first sign of Kirk. Just as he unlocked the door, he heard an ominous thunk and then the whir of a fan grinding to a halt. He glanced up at an ancient air vent, and murmured, "Crap, no," as he reached up, hoping to feel warm air coursing over his fingers. Instead, he felt nothing at all.

Lorelai was cranky after a restless night of tossing and turning that she blamed on the excess of sleep she had indulged in the night before. She became even crankier when she got to work and discover that she would be forced to brave the frigid temperatures to overnight some important papers for Mia to sign and to buy stamps for the inn. Her teeth chattered as she drove through town, wishing that the heater in her Jeep could fight off the chill a little faster. She passed the diner and was surprised when she saw the sign on the door turned to 'Closed'. A frown furrowed her brow as she pulled over across the street from the Mailboxes, Etc. She leapt from the car and hurried across the deserted street, anxious to get to the heated store.

After taking care of her business, Lorelai pulled her gloves back on and stared out at the deserted square, the sub-zero temperatures keeping even the heartiest of New Englanders indoors for the day. She trotted to her car, holding her breath against the icy wind, and exhaled loudly when she pulled the car door shut behind her. "Stupid plastic windows, stupid removable top. What the hell was I thinking?" she muttered as she cranked the engine. She pulled a quick u-turn and then slowed as she approached Luke's. She stared through the windshield into the diner, and saw Luke moving around behind the counter wearing his old army jacket, gloves and one of those ski bands that was supposed to keep your ears warm. She pulled over to the curb, cut the engine off and made a dash for the door. When she found it locked, she rapped her gloved fingers against the glass to get his attention.

Luke quickly unlocked the door and snarled, "Can't you read?" as she stepped inside.

"What's going on? Why are you closed? Are you alright? Why is it so cold in here?" she asked as she followed him back behind the counter.

"Furnace is out, and Cy has to get the part for it, so I can't reopen until tomorrow," he told her as he poured the coffee he had started earlier into a to-go cup. He handed it to her and said, "There you go. It's been sitting for a while, so it should be about the consistency of the sludge that you like."

"I didn't come in to get coffee, I came in to see if you're okay," she insisted. Lorelai frowned at the cup and then took a cautious sip. She raised her eyebrows approvingly and then asked, "Why don't you go upstairs?"

"Not much warmer up there," he said with a shrug.

"So the whole building is out?"

"The blower is out, so yeah," Luke said with a nod.

"Why are you still here? You can't stay here, Luke," she insisted.

"Well, I was about to call you. I guess I need a room at the inn," he said as he rubbed his chin with his gloved hand.

"A room?" she asked blankly.

"That is what you do there, right?"

"Yeah, but Luke, we're booked solid. They canceled a lot of flights out of Hartford last night because they couldn't keep the planes deiced."

"Oh," he breathed. "Well, I had better start calling around then," he said with a shrug.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "You won't find anything within sixty miles."

"You're joking," he scoffed.

"The whole east coast is socked in with snow and ice and cold," she pointed out.

"Great," he muttered.

Lorelai watched as he ducked head and took a deep calming breath. "I can offer you a warm lumpy couch," she offered tentatively.

"What?"

Lorelai shrugged and said, "You can bunk at our place for the night. I'll have to call Rory, but I'm sure she won't mind, under the circumstances."

Luke studied her carefully as he asked, "Are you sure?"

"Let me call her now," Lorelai said as she started toward the diner phone.

Luke didn't even bother putting up a token resistance as he watched her dial. He listened to her conversation with half an ear, his mind whirring louder than the old blower on the ancient furnace. When she hung up, she turned to him with a bright smile and said, "Go pack your PJs, you're having a movie night with the Gilmore girls."

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

Lorelai nodded and said, "Rory said to send you over now, and she wants you to bring your toolbox, something about a sagging bookshelf. Looks like you may have to earn your keep," she said with a grin.

Luke leapt at the chance to spend more time with her. He schooled his features carefully and said, "Well, knowing you, I should pack up some food too."

Lorelai gasped and pressed her hand to her heart. "Excellent thinking! Pack up, you're moving in!" she cried happily.

**

Lorelai walked through the front door that night calling, "I'm never going outside again. I call that as the leader of this pack, I get to eat you if we run out of food!" She stuffed her gloves into her coat pockets and sniffed the air as she shrugged out of her coat. "What is that smell?"

"Chili!" Rory said as she magically appeared from the kitchen. "There's a big pot of chili cooking in our kitchen!"

"In our kitchen?" Lorelai asked wide eyed.

"Can we keep him? Please? Please?" Rory asked, giving her mother the doe eyes as she took Lorelai's arm and pulled her into the kitchen.

Lorelai looked up and saw Luke shaking his head as he stirred a simmering pot. "It is chili. In our kitchen," she whispered in an awed tone.

"This has been the best afternoon. Luke has fixed like ten thousand things," Rory gushed.

"Not ten thousand," Luke grumbled the color rising in his cheeks.

"Well, at least ten," Rory conceded.

Luke shook his head and said, "It wasn't ten, either," as he moved to the refrigerator and pulled the door open to reveal shelves stocked with food.

Lorelai gasped and covered her mouth as she stared at it agog. "What happened? What did you do to it?"

"I know! It's totally full! I've never seen it like that," Rory said as she shook her head in wonder. Luke rolled his eyes as he pulled out bulk package of shredded cheese. "Look! Look at all of that cheese!"

"I buy in bulk for the diner. I just grabbed what I thought we would need from the cooler. I've fed you before, so I know that it pays to go for the quantity discount," he grumbled good-naturedly.

"Am I dead? Is this heaven?" Lorelai asked Rory innocently.

"Can we keep him? I promise to take him out for walks. I'll even get him a plaid leash," Rory said with a winning smile.

"I know, Hon, but look at the size of him. How can we afford to feed him?" Lorelai answered with a grin.

"He comes with his own food! And a toolbox! Come look," Rory insisted as she pulled Lorelai into her bedroom. "He fixed the shelf, and put nails up so that I could hang that stuff," she said as she pointed to an array of pictures that now decorated her wall. "He fixed the bracket thingy on the back of my mirror so it doesn't lean forward anymore. Oh! And the drippy showerhead," she added as she pointed to the ceiling.

"Wow," Lorelai breathed. "It's not even my birthday."

"I know!" Rory said with a grin. "Oh, and the washer doesn't make the thumping sound, the toaster pops, and I think he put some of that white stuff in between the tiles that were loose in the tub. What's else did you do, Luke?" Rory called to him.

"It's no big deal," he said in an exasperated tone.

Lorelai walked back into the kitchen and said, "You know, I was joking about the earning your keep thing."

Luke shrugged and said, "I like to keep busy. I'm not much good at just sitting around.

Lorelai rolled her eyes as she sank into one of the kitchen chairs. "Well, I am an excellent sitter arounder."

"I put a new washer in the kitchen sink," he said with a nod.

"Aw, no more second shower?" Lorelai groaned.

Luke glanced over at her and asked, "You want me to dig the old one out of the trash?"

"Hey, did you notice anything different when you drove up?" Rory asked.

Lorelai frowned and then looked over at Luke as she asked, "Did you paint the house?"

"He put a bulb in the porch light," Rory reported.

"Man, that thing has been out forever," Lorelai said in an awed tone. "I must not have noticed because of the Christmas lights."

"I'll take those down for you tomorrow," Luke said as he started to ladle chili into bowls.

"No!" both girls said at once, making him jump and slosh chili over the lip of the bowl.

"Geez," he muttered as he set the bowl down and wiped the drips from the side. "Why the hell not? Christmas is over?" he growled.

"It is not!" Lorelai said indignantly.

"Technically, no it's isn't, Luke," Rory agreed with a solemn nod.

"How do you figure? It's January 3rd," Luke said as he placed a bowls of shredded cheese, diced onion and sour cream on the table.

"There are twelve days of Christmas, Luke. The song is not a lie," Lorelai said in an exasperated tone. "We're only on day nine or ten."

Rory frowned as she thought about it and said, "Ten, I think. It depends on when you start counting. I figure it's the evening of Christmas Day," she said with a nod.

"Why are there twelve days anyway? Why not make it ten or five?" Luke asked as he carried the bowls of chili to the table.

"Because it took that long for the wise guys to get there, duh," Lorelai said as she jumped up to fetch some drinks.

"The mafia was involved?" Luke asked with a smirk. "I shoulda known."

"Traditionally, the Feast of the Epiphany marks the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem, and the twelve days are the days between Jesus' birth and their arrival," Rory said. She shook her head as she sprinkled shredded cheese over her chili and said, "Man, Mrs. Kim would be so proud to know that she has managed to pound so much stuff into my head over the years."

"So, the lights can't come down until after January 6th," Lorelai concluded as she placed a bottle of beer in front of him. "That okay or do you want water?" she asked as she handed Rory a bottle of water.

"Beer is good," Luke answered.

"Beer is good," Lorelai agreed as she sat down with her own bottle. As she started to doctor her chili, she murmured, "Day ten. Ten lords a leaping."

"Only one lord here tonight," Rory said as she toasted Luke with her spoon. "But I do think you fixed ten things, so that kept you a leaping."

"Let's see; bookshelf, nails, mirror and showerhead. That's four," Lorelai listed.

"The washer, toaster, the tile stuff and the light bulb," Rory added. "That gets us to eight."

"Washer. The sink washer," Luke muttered.

"Nine," Rory said with a grin. "Think hard. Did you happen to fix anything else since you came over?" she pressed.

"Yes, he did," Lorelai said with a triumphant nod as she sat back in her chair.

"I did?" Luke asked blankly

Lorelai gestured to her bowl grandly and said, "You fixed chili. In our kitchen."

Luke smirked and shook his head. "Well, that was the hardest part of all. You're just lucky that I was smart enough to throw some utensils in the box with the food. Would it kill you to buy a ladle or a decent spatula?"

"Yes," Lorelai said soberly.

"This so good," Rory said as she dumped a handful of oyster crackers into the bowl. "I officially name you Lord of the Manor," she said happily.

"Hey, isn't that my job?" Lorelai protested.

"There was a coup," Rory said with a helpless shrug. "I hereby declare that he who fixeth things, chooseth the evening's viewing." Rory pronounced grandly.

**Thursday, January 4, 2001**

As Luke slipped his key into the lock on the back door to the diner, he whistled low and soft, bouncing on the balls of his feet to keep warm. The heavy door slammed shut behind him, and he rubbed his gloved hands together, hoping that Cy would be on time to fix the furnace. He stepped through the curtain and slipped on the wet floor, catching himself against the doorframe. "What the…" he growled. When he looked down he saw that the diner floor was covered by a fine film of water. "Oh, shit," he murmured. "Oh, shit no," he said as he picked his way carefully through water that had pooled deeper on the aged floor behind the counter. "Crap! Crap, crap, crap!" he said as he splashed his way into the kitchen, only to find it flooded, the water lapping at the toes of his boots. He heard the faint hiss of rushing water and realized that the freezing temperatures and lack of heat in the building had led to a burst pipe.

Luke hurriedly slogged his way back to the rear of the building and found the cut off valve for the water main. "God damn, stupid," he muttered under his breath as he struggled to turn the ancient knob. His chest heaving with exertion, his jeans wicking the water up and soaking the fabric to his ankles, he stared down at the closed value and listened carefully for the hissing sound. Satisfied that it had stopped, Luke covered his face with his hands, rubbing it hard as he blinked in disbelief. His shoulders slumped in defeat, Luke turned and started slow up the stairs to his apartment in search of a telephone and some dry clothing.

After numerous phone calls and hours of mopping, sopping and sucking water up with his trusty shop vac, Cy had the part installed. The furnace was running again, steadily drying the sodden diner as Luke contemplated his next move. The trouble now was getting the pipe fixed. Of course, it was a main supply line, so capping the pipe off at the rupture would still cut the water off to the apartment upstairs. Unfortunately, Sam, the local plumber, was overloaded with weather related disasters, and the soonest he would be able to get to Luke's would be the following day at the earliest.

Luke hung up the phone and stared at it with unseeing eyes. Another night at Lorelai's. Maybe two. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and wondered if maybe he should try to find somewhere else to stay. Not that it hadn't been nice, just hanging out with Lorelai and Rory, listening to their running commentary through the movie that they had eventually chosen after vetoing his choices, it had been. Very nice. And educational, too. He learned that apparently being named Lord of the Manor in the Gilmore household did not grant him any actual power. That had been fine with him though. He sat on the couch sipping a beer as the girls argued over the popcorn bowl, trying to drag him into their dispute as mediator. Luke remedied the situation my taking the bowl away from both of them. Then he learned that they were even more dangerous when they joined forces against him. Luke smiled, trying to remember the last time he had laughed as much as he had the night before. His smile widened as Luke remembered the way Lorelai had stretched her legs out during the movie, oh-so-casually tucking her toes under his leg to warm them. He looked over at her only to find her staring intently at the screen, the corners of her mouth tilting upwards slightly, daring him to acknowledge it. But he didn't; afraid that she would pull back, and dreading the moment of her retreat.

When the movie had ended, they grilled him on the details, asking his opinions on this and that, wanting to know what his favorite parts were. The fact of the matter was that he had a hard time paying attention to the movie at all. He had been too busy watching Lorelai. He remembered that it was some kind of fairy tale, but more of the fractured variety than the usual princess story. There was a giant, and a prince named Humperdinck, he knew that much. And, he noticed that the guy that played Columbo was in it. He listened to their protests and outraged cries of, 'inconceivable!' when he complained that the guy introducing himself over and over again was annoying. When pressed, Luke was finally able to spit something out about his favorite part being when the guy said that he was not left handed during a big sword fight scene. He managed a few more feeble answers, and that seemed to satisfy them.

After Rory had said goodnight, Luke watched Lorelai flit around like a butterfly, gathering blankets sheets and pillows, eager to make her lumpy old couch as comfortable as possible for him. She offered him dibs on the good bathroom so that he could change and get ready for bed as she tucked sheets around the couch cushions. When he came back downstairs a few minutes later dressed in sweatpants, a t-shirt and white athletic socks, Lorelai's eyes had widened fractionally and then she looked away quickly. She had rambled on and on, touting the superior quality and softness of each blanket, and offering him his choice of pillows. Luke smiled as he weighed his choices carefully, and opted for the one in the flowery pillowcase, which he hoped matched the sheets he had spotted on her bed while he was upstairs. Luke took the pillow from her and dropped it onto the end of the couch, and Lorelai had clutched the second pillow to her chest like a protective shield as he assured her repeatedly that he had everything that he could possibly need.

Luke smiled smugly, drumming his fingers on the phone as he remembered the look on her face when he reached down to rearrange some of the blankets.

"_You have a tattoo?" she blurted._

_Luke frowned as he looked up at her and then down at the arm that she seemed focused on. "Oh, yeah," he said with a nod._

"_When did you get a tattoo?" she asked slowly, trying to add this new discovery to all that she knew about him already._

"_Uh, about eighteen years ago," he said as he shrugged._

"_Huh."_

"_Something wrong with that?" he asked cautiously._

"_No. Not wrong," Lorelai said softly. She shook her head to clear it and said, "I mean, no, that's your business, not mine."_

_Luke smiled and said, "Most of the time I forget it's there."_

"_Kinda hard to miss," she said as she focused on her feet. "It's big. I mean, it's not like its a little heart or a Tweety Bird or something," she babbled._

"_Dear God, no," Luke said with a low chuckle._

"_Yeah, no kidding," she agreed with a nervous laugh. She had hesitated for a moment, standing on the bottoms step, hugging that pillow so tightly that Luke felt a faint ripple of jealousy. "Well, uh, okay. Goodnight," she said as she turned and jogged up the steps._

"_Night," Luke called back as he reached to turn out the lamp. He settled down onto the pillow, smiling in the dark as he breathed in the scent of her shampoo on the pillowcase._

Luke ran his fingers over the receiver, itching to snatch it from its cradle and dial the inn, but for some reason, holding back. He knew that the more time he spent with her; the more he'd put himself out there. He knew that there was a good chance that she'd stomp all over his heart with her high heeled boots. He knew that if he pushed; she'd probably run. He also knew that, in the end, all of this debate would come to nothing, because wild horses couldn't keep him away from her house if she gave the go ahead. He lifted the receiver and dialed the number for the inn. When she answered the phone, he said, "Hey, it's me. Still got a lumpy couch available? I was thinking of making fried chicken," he added, just for good measure.

**

Lorelai knew that she shouldn't be in such a hurry to get home. She knew it was wrong to be so anxious to see him. She shouldn't have been so eager to will the afternoon away. She tried to convince herself that it was simply the lure of homemade fried chicken, and not the rumble of his deep laugh as he plucked the popcorn bowl from her grasp the night before. She tried to distract herself from the mental image of Luke standing at her stove stirring that pot of chili by coming up with a list of other little repairs she needed done around the house. She wanted to bleach that glimpse of the tattoo on his muscular arm from her brain, and fought even more desperately to squelch the overwhelming desire to lick his ink stained skin. No, she shouldn't be looking forward to going home to Luke in her house. It was all sorts of wrong. And very, very dangerous.

Lorelai didn't want to get used to having him around. She didn't want to become too accustomed to home cooked meals eaten at the kitchen table. The pitch of masculine laughter mixed with hers and Rory's shouldn't sound so right. She had never shared her couch, or her house, with anyone but Rory, and somehow he had changed all of that. Worse, he had made her want to change it. But, she told herself, it wasn't what she wanted. She was happy with the way things were. She wanted her hinges to stay unhinged, her screws to stay unscrewed and shower head to drip all night long. She should never have let him into her life. He was too sneaky. She should never have invited him into her home. He made it too easy to want more. She should never have kissed him. He was too delicious. Those kisses, so sweet and hot, were too tempting. And, oh, she craved those kisses, even though she knew she should never, ever have them again. All in all, Luke Danes was simply too dangerous to have around.

So, why was he around? Lorelai asked herself as she gripped the steering wheel harder and bit her lip. She was a masochist, that's why. When he called today, there had been a room available at the inn. She knew that she should have booked him into it, gave him a few extra pillow mints, and called it a day. But she was weak. He made her weak, and strong, all that the same time. And he'd be waiting for her there. At home. Her home. In her mind's eye, she piled layer after layer of flannel on top of that snug olive green t-shirt, she pictured 70s era red and gold striped tube socks pulled to his knees under those grey sweatpants, and swiped a barrel with suspenders from the naked guy in old cartoons to cover the way the worn grey cotton of his sweats had clung to what undeniably was a fantastic ass. No, she couldn't think about him like that. He was their trusted friend, their food provider, or even a somewhat tolerant older brother, she reasoned as she turned into the driveway. He was not a man. His chest wasn't warm and solid, his arms were not strong and gentle, his body was not hard and demanding, his lips were not soft and seductive. Lorelai stomped on the brake, the Jeep jerking to a halt inches from the bumper of his trusty old pick up truck. She blinked rapidly, her heart pounding as she turned the engine off. She opened the car door and sucked in a breath of frosty arctic air as she reminded herself that he was not the man in her life, he was just Luke.

Lorelai slammed the front door behind her, took a deep breath and then called, "Oh. My. God. It smells incredible in here!" She tossed her coat in the general direction of the hall tree, and made a beeline for the kitchen. "I swear, if we could make candles that smelled like that, we'd make a fortune," she said as she walked directly to the stove and peered around Luke's arm as he turned the chicken. He turned his head, and before she could catch herself, she tipped her face up, silently inviting a kiss hello.

"Uh, hi," he said softly, confusion knitting his brow.

"Hi!" she said too brightly as she took a hasty step back.

"I'm not sure that people would buy candles scented like frying chicken fat," Rory said as she walked from her room, her nose buried in a book. "But he did use eleven herbs and spices, so I think he may be Colonel Sanders in disguise."

"Uh, table, Hon," Lorelai reminded her. Rory blinked as she looked up and stopped just short of running into the kitchen table. Lorelai moved quickly to the relative safety of the refrigerator and pulled a bottle of water off of the shelf. She unscrewed the top a little too forcefully and asked, "So, was there much water damage?"

Luke shrugged, his eyes focused on the chicken as he said, "Hard to tell until it all dries out." He flipped a breast over, and tried to figure out what had just happened. "Looks like most of the damage was in the kissin, uh, I mean, kitchen," he stammered.

A small giggle escaped before Lorelai could stifle it. Luke shot her a glare, but Rory remained oblivious, sinking into her chair without lifting her eyes from the page. "Wow, the kitchen," Lorelai said with a devilish grin, pronouncing the word extreme deliberation as she lounged against the refrigerator door.

Luke slowly turned to look at her, keeping his back to Rory as he looked her directly in the eye and slowly said, "Yeah, that's a shame, isn't it?" Lorelai watched as his eyes fell to her mouth, and she could swear that she felt the heat of his stare on her lips. Unconsciously, she wet them with the tip of her tongue, a slow smile blooming as she saw his breath hitch in his throat.

"It's a damn shame," she drawled as she pushed away from the fridge. "If you don't mind, I think I'll go slip into something a little more comfortable," she said as she sauntered from the room, knowing that he was watching her.

A few minutes later, Rory said, "Okay. Chapter done," as she closed her book with a thud. She looked up at Luke and said, "I'm sorry, did you say that most of the damage was in the kitchen?"

"Uh, yeah," Luke said as she quickly turned back to the stove, trying to fight back the blush that rose in his cheeks.

"Man, that sucks. So if they get the pipe fixed tomorrow, will you go back home?" she asked.

Luke nodded and said, "Yep."

"Darn," Rory muttered.

Luke chuckled and said, "I cook for you guys every day anyway."

Rory shook her head sadly and said, "Yeah, I know, but it's not the same."

"I guess not," he agreed.

"Maybe you could come over once in a while, we'll let you make us dinner, and then we'll continue your cinematic education," she said with a grin.

"Gee, do you think I could be so lucky," Luke asked in a sarcastic tone.

Rory chuckled and said, "Sure! After all, Mom did say that we could keep you." Rory stood up and went to the cabinet to get plates to set the table. "After dinner, Dean is coming over. Tonight we will introduce you to _This is Spinal Tap_. It's a Mockumentary about a rock band," she told him.

Luke's eyebrows shot up as he said, "Wow. Right up your alley."

"Yes, and we're turning the volume up to eleven," Lorelai called as she trotted down the steps in pink sweatpants and a matching pink hoodie that zipped up the front.

"What?" Luke asked with a perplexed frown as he placed pieces of chicken on a bed of paper towels to drain.

Rory grinned and said, "You'll understand soon enough. I just hope that you don't spontaneously combust."

Luke looked over at Lorelai and tried to block the mental image of slowly pulling that zipper down with his teeth. "Yes, that would be bad," he murmured as he turned back to the stove.

**Friday, January 5, 2001**

If wanting Luke Danes was wrong, Lorelai Gilmore didn't want to be right. It had only taken one fantastic fried chicken dinner, three hours on the couch watching a movie she had seen a thousand times before, eight hours of fitful sleep interrupted by dreams of tiptoeing down the steps, ten days of intensive flirting with some kissing thrown in as a bonus, and about four years of friendship for her to be able to own up to it, but there it was. She wanted him. There was nothing wrong with that. They were both consenting adults. He's single, she's single. Everyone in entitled to have hormones, she reasoned as she sorted through the day's mail. She had an itch badly in need of a scratch, and he was just the guy to scratch her.

It didn't have to change anything. They could go on as they have been. They'd just be good friends with some special added benefits. There was no need to get all gushy or over-emotional about it. They cared about each other, respected each other, and wanted what was best for each other. There were far worse reasons to sleep with a guy, she told herself. They didn't need to pretend that there was nothing there, but they also didn't have to act like it had to be everything, right? It just is what it is. Two friends who enjoy each other's company and share an attraction, nothing more, nothing less. This could be the best thing for both of them, she justified as she carried some invoices into the office with her.

She wanted him, plain and simple. It didn't have to be complicated. Lorelai sat back in her chair, leaning away from the desk as she chewed on the cap of her pen. She didn't have to justify his obvious affection for Rory by saying that it was simply because her kid was less obnoxious than other teenagers; she could see that he cared for Rory just for being Rory. She didn't need to analyze whether it made her happier to see his smile or to hear his laugh, because she had seen and heard more of both of them in the last forty-eight hours than she had ever thought possible. She didn't want to have to spend thirty minutes every day dreaming up reasons and excuses to go into the diner; she wanted to walk in there with her head held high and claim him as her own. She didn't want to ignore the thrill she felt when he brushed past her; she wanted to press up against him. She didn't want to have to pretend that she was indifferent to his kisses; she wanted to savor them. No, she didn't have to deny herself, deny him. She could have whatever she wanted, whoever she wanted, and there was nothing she wanted more than to hear Luke Danes tell her that he wanted to be with her too.

**

There was no doubt about it, she was making him crazy. Another night under her roof, and he'd be just as nutty as she was. Luke thought he'd crawl right out of his skin last night. She sat so close to him. Close enough that he could smell her perfume lingering on her skin. Her arm brushed his occasionally, and he was pretty sure that it wasn't accidental. When one of the freaky British sounding guys made some comment about how the band had armadillos in their trousers, he would swear that he saw her eyes fall to his crotch. It wasn't just a question of lust. Oh, he wanted her alright. He wanted her so badly he could taste it. He fervently wished that he could taste her. Yes, there was that, but it was so much more than that.

He felt comfortable on her couch. There was no shifting around, trying to stay in an upright position, or keeping his feet off of the upholstery. She slouched and curled up, he slumped and stretched out. He felt happy when she laughed, especially when he could make her laugh. The sound of it rippled through him, leaving a trail of warmth that coursed through his bloodstream. He felt pleased and flattered as they raved about the meal he had prepared, carefully eying each other's portion of mashed potatoes to be sure that one wasn't taking more than her fair share, and laughing as he dug into his before they could swipe them from his plate. And every once in a while, he'd catch her watching him watching the movie, her lips moving silently in time with the dialogue as she waited anxiously for his reaction. When he chuckled, she beamed, when he groaned and rolled his eyes, she giggled, and when he laughed, she laughed. She'd glance away if he cut his eyes in her direction, but minutes later he'd feel the heat of her eyes on him again, and the whole cycle started over again.

Luke watched as Sam made steady progress on his repairs to the ruptured pipe, hoping that it could be fixed that day. He chewed the inside of his cheek as he waited for the final pronouncement from the plumber, hoping that he could go home. As much as he didn't want to, he needed to go home. If for no other reason than the fact that he didn't think he could go another whole night without telling her that he loved her.

**

The bells chimed as Lorelai flew through the diner door late that afternoon. "At least it's warm in here now," she called back into the kitchen.

Sam Stevens stuck his head out from around the door and said, "Luke's upstairs."

"Oh," Lorelai said as she sucked in a surprised breath. "Okay, uh, thanks, Sam," she called a she hurried toward the curtain that covered the stairs. She pushed it aside, and then muttered a low 'Oof!' as she ran directly into Luke's chest. "Man, we have to stop meeting like this," she joked lamely as she took a step back.

Luke grasped her arms to steady her, and chuckled. "You like to plow over people."

"I was just coming up to see you," she said by way of explanation.

"I just called the inn looking for you," he told her.

"And looking for love in all the wrong places?" she joked.

"More than likely," he said with a grave nod.

"So, what's the prognosis?" she said as she gestured toward the kitchen.

"Pipe's fixed, as soon as Sam's done in there, I'll patch the wall and start checking to appliances to be sure that everything is working properly," he said with a shrug.

"Good," she said with a quick nod, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "And tonight? Your apartment?"

"Oh. I'm good now, thanks," Luke told her.

"You're sure?"

"Just checked. Lots of heat and hot and cold running water," he reported.

"Oh," she said again, her shoulders sagging.

Luke cocked his head as he said in a low voice, "Bet you'll be glad to get your couch back again."

Lorelai's brow knit as she said, "What? Oh yeah, yeah."

"There are leftovers in the fridge," he told her.

Lorelai looked away, focusing her attention on the toaster oven on the back counter as she said, "Yeah. Unless…" she trailed off uncertainly.

"Unless?" he prompted.

"Well, you won't be able to open until later tomorrow, right?" she asked. When he nodded she said slowly, "Well, I was thinking, Rory pointed out this morning that you still have at least one more must see movie to watch."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. You have to watch _When Harry Met Sally_," she asserted.

"Sounds like a chick flick," Luke teased.

Lorelai shook her head and said seriously, "It's not really. It's about a guy and a girl and they become friends and stuff."

"Friends?" Luke asked.

"Um, yeah, well, yeah, that's the main part of it," she fumbled.

Luke lips quirked as she studiously avoided his gaze. "Like you and me?" his voice thick and warm.

"Maybe," she said softly.

"So, you want to watch this tonight?" Luke asked gently.

"Yes."

"No dinner at your parents?"

"Still in the islands," Lorelai replied.

"I still have a lot of work to do here, and even then, I don't know if I can open tomorrow," he said as he rubbed his neck tiredly.

"Well, this could be a good way to relax. It can be late if you want. How about I order a couple of pizzas?" she offered.

"That could work. I may not be able to get over there until nine or ten, though," he warned.

"No problem, I don't have to work tomorrow, and you don't have to be up to open," she said with a shrug. "Just come by when you're ready. Oh wait, give me about 30 minutes lead time to order the pizzas, and then come over," she amended. Lorelai began to back to the opposite side of the counter and then smiled at him brightly. "Rory is spending the night at Lane's tonight, so it will be just me and you," she told him in a softly challenging voice.

Luke swallowed thickly. "Me and you?" he asked blankly.

Lorelai turned on her heel called over her shoulder, ""You and me, me and you, buddy," as she headed for the door.

As the bells tolled her departure, Luke stared open mouthed as the 'Closed' sign swung back and forth against the glass. "Oh, God," he groaned and squeezed his eyes shut.

**

It was shortly after ten o'clock when Lorelai stood back and surveyed the living room as she marked off the mental checklist. Pizzas, one veggie, one carnivore, and never the twain shall meet. A fresh twelve-pack of beer in the fridge and a dozen votives scattered around the room cast a soft glow in the low lamplight. She glanced down at the snug jeans and pale blue cashmere sweater she wore, and nodded with approval. "Casual, but pretty, perfect for a movie night at home," she murmured. She pulled the v-neck of her sweater away from her skin and glanced down at the powder blue lace bra that matched the panties she wore. "Ready in there, girls?" she asked softly. "Operation seduce the diner man is about to commence," she said as she smoothed the soft wool over her hips. She looked around the room one more time and frowned at the candles that flickered along the mantelpiece and shook her head. "Waaaaay to obvious," she pronounced as she circled the room and blew three quarters of the candles out, leaving three lit on the mantle. She waved her hand to help dispel the smoke and turned to look at the fireplace. Although it galled her to admit that her father was right, Lorelai had the flue checked not long after Rory's birthday party. Unfortunately, it turned out that she was not a very good fire starter, and after filling the house with smoke and setting off all of the detectors for a second time, she gave up. There was a knock on the door, and Lorelai whirled around, her heart pounding like a bass drum in her chest. She took three deep breaths to calm herself, and then walked slowly to the foyer, hoping that Luke wouldn't be able to hear the steady thud, thud, thud as she opened the door.

Luke stood on her doorstep shivering in his thin cloth coat, his head hatless. "Stupid time to be vain, Danes," he muttered under his breath as he ducked down into his collar. He clutched a pink bakery box in his gloved hand, and shuffled from foot to foot as he waited. Lorelai opened the door and he looked up, stunned almost speechless by how beautiful she looked framed in the doorway.

"Hi!" she said as she beckoned for him to enter.

"Hey," Luke managed to utter as he stepped inside. He waited for her to close the door, and then held out the bakery box. "I thought about getting you some flowers, you know, as a thank you thing, but the flower shop was closed by the time I thought of it, and well, I thought this might work better anyway," he finished with a shrug.

Lorelai lifted the lid and saw a dozen cupcakes frosted with an inch of sparkly pink and purple swirls. Her jaw dropped as she said, "Oh! How beautiful," and promptly stuck her nose into the box to inhale their sweet bouquet.

Luke chuckled as he unzipped his coat and shoved his gloves into the pockets. "I ran out a little while ago and Weston's was still open. I figured they'd probably be a bigger hit than some lame bunch of daisies."

Lorelai grinned up at him and said, "You know me so well, but you should know that I like daisies too." Luke hung his coat on the rack and quickly unlaced his boots, leaving them to dry on the mat. "Beverage, sir?" she asked with a flirty smile.

"Please," Luke said as he followed her into the kitchen. Lorelai set the bakery box on the counter, swiped a fingertip full of frosting before letting the lid fall shut, and popped it into her mouth, sucking the sweet treat from her finger with a satisfied moan as she opened the refrigerator with her left hand. She grabbed two bottles of beer from the shelf and kicked the door closed as she turned back to him, releasing her finger with a pop, and then licking her lips. "Good?" he asked in a low husky voice.

"So good," she answered with a saucy smile.

Luke raised one eyebrow as he twisted the cap from her bottle and then his, and decided that two could play this game. He walked over to the trash can and tossed them both in before turning back to her. "So… Pizza?"

"Are you hungry?" she asked as she waved for him to follow her back into the living room.

"Starving. I didn't have time for lunch. Or dinner," he added as he dropped down onto the couch, sprawling over the center cushion.

Lorelai eyed the spot he had chosen with a surprised chuckle and said, "Yours is in the box on the left. I just figured that you didn't like anything good on yours and ordered you the gross one."

"Great, thanks," Luke said with exaggerated enthusiasm as he lifted the lid cautiously. To his relief, he saw nothing but the usual veggie pizza, and quickly slid two slices onto the paper towel that Lorelai had handed him. "Were plates one of those unfulfilled Christmas wishes?" he asked with a snort.

"Yes, along with a dishwasher," she said as she sat down on the cushion next to his. She leaned forward, letting her hair curtain her face, and feeling her sweater ride up over the waistband of her jeans as she reached for the pizza box. As Luke took a bite of his first slice, she asked, "Will you be able to reopen tomorrow?"

"Maybe in the afternoon, I still have a lot of disinfecting to do. If Taylor really wants to be a jerk, he can make me wait for the health inspector to clear me," he said darkly.

"I'm sorry, Luke, that's rotten luck," she said sympathetically.

"Yeah, and I was supposed to have good luck," he said as he shot her a sidelong glance.

Lorelai froze with her pizza halfway to her lips and blinked at him in surprise. "That's my fault," she said at last. "I probably wasn't the one you should have been kissing at midnight."

Luke shrugged. "Maybe not, but I bet the furnace still would have died and the pipe still would have busted if I had kissed Patty instead," he joked. He set his pizza on his thigh, and unbuttoned the cuffs of his denim shirt and rolled the sleeves back.

"Do you want a fire? I have firewood and those starter things, but I'm not very good with the fireplace," she said, abruptly changing the subject.

"I can start one if you want," he said with a nod.

Lorelai shrugged and said, "It's a cold night. A good night for a fire." When Luke moved to set his pizza aside, she placed her hand on his arm to stop him, feeling the soft hair tickle her palm. "Eat. The fire will wait," she said quietly as she reluctantly pulled her hand away.

"We'll be up all night watching the movie," Luke pointed out as he picked up his slice again.

"Oh well," she said with a shrug and a sassy smile. "It isn't that long anyway," she assured him.

They chatted about the things he would need to take care of before he could reopen, dreamed up schemes of pranks to play on Taylor that would have made the Coleman boys in room six proud, and picked out a few places to hide the body if he gave Luke any trouble about reopening. They sat close, his arm occasionally brushing hers as he reached for his beer, Lorelai leaning in even closer as she reached for another slice of pizza.

When Luke was through, he crumpled his paper towel and set it carefully atop the box containing the veggie pizza. "I'll start the fire," he said as he pushed himself up off of the couch. He stacked a couple of the logs she had sitting in the bin next to the screen onto the grate, and then asked, "Do you have any smaller ones?"

Lorelai suppressed the urge to ask why he needed a small one when he had two big ones, and instead mumbled, "Back porch," through stuffed cheeks.

Luke went to grab some kindling and when he returned a minute later, Lorelai stared in frank admiration as he squatted down to arrange the logs and start the fire. His denim shirt stretched tight across his shoulders and tapered down along his back where it was tucked securely into his jeans. Her eyebrows rose appreciatively as he leaned forward, arranging the kindling around the logs, and giving her a fabulous view of his butt. Lorelai sighed softly and sent up a silent prayer of thanks for Levi Strauss as her eyes fixed on the tiny red tab sewn into the back pocket. She was distracted when he reached for the newspaper he had brought in with the wood and twisted it before lighting one end with the lighter she had used for the votives. Lorelai found herself mesmerized by his wrist and hand as he balanced himself against the floor and held the flaming paper to the kindling in various spots. He rested back on his heels, watching the fire take hold, as he reached up and rubbed the nape of his neck, kneading the tense muscles with his long fingers.

"There," he said at last as he rocked back on his heels and stood up again. He dusted his hands together and then turned to look at her as he asked, "Good?"

"Great," she answered, glancing down at the forgotten slice of pizza in her hand. She placed it on the paper towel she held and then tossed it onto the box as she reached for the remote. "I have us all ready to go," she told him.

"I'm gonna grab another beer, you want one?" he asked.

"May as well take it now, you know the rules," she said sternly.

"Yes, and I know that you break every one of them every chance that you get," he answered as he walked into the kitchen.

After he handed her a fresh beer, Luke sat back down toward the center of the couch, leaving her room to choose to sit next to him or to curl up against the armrest. Lorelai stayed put, and smiled at him as she pressed the play button. "I have it cued up," she said proudly.

"That's why they pay you the big money," Luke said as he twisted the top off of his beer. Lorelai held her bottle up for him, and he said, "Oh, sorry," as he quickly removed the lid.

"Thank you," she whispered as the movie began and she leaned a little closer to him.

Luke did his best to concentrate on the movie. He chuckled a few times during the drive from Chicago to New York, and then smirked when Sally dropped Harry and all of his belongings off near Washington Square Park. "Why do I have the feeling that you're Harry and I'm Sally?" he grumbled.

Lorelai smiled and reached up to touch one of the curls that flipped up behind his ear as she said teasingly, "Well, if the hair-do fits."

"Stop that," he muttered as he waved her hand away.

"I think we both may be a mixture of them. You aren't optimistic enough to be Sally." Lorelai laughed softly as she took the opportunity to shift a little, inching a bit closer still as he tried desperately to focus on a couple telling the story of how they met and fell in love.

While Harry and Sally met again on an airplane, Luke set his beer on the end table and stretched his arm along the back of the sofa. Lorelai glanced at him, checking his profile for signs of an imminent move, but finding none. She smothered her impatience as his arm stayed firmly on the cushion. Luke chuckled as Harry confided in his friend about the failure of his marriage while watching a football game and doing the wave. He watched with interest as Harry and Sally eventually became friends; confiding in each other, supporting one another, and spending more and more time together, and occasionally dared a glance at Lorelai when he was sure she wasn't looking.

When the infamous deli scene started, Lorelai leaned forward, seemingly to grab her beer, but more to watch Luke's reaction as Sally faked an orgasm in the middle of eating her turkey sandwich. She giggled as he shifted uncomfortably and turned to look at him as Sally pounded the table screaming, 'Yes! Yes! Yes!' and tossing her hair. "What?" he snarled.

"Come on, it's funny," she said as she elbowed him in the ribs.

"To a woman, maybe. Harry isn't amused, either," he pointed out.

"Please," Lorelai scoffed. "Guys don't seriously worry about that, do they?"

"I'm not going to discuss this with you," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Aw, come on, it's just a movie," she cajoled as she tugged on his arm.

"Shh," he admonished as the scene ended and he pretended to be absorbed once again.

Lorelai waited, and by the time Jess and Marie had set up housekeeping, Luke had once again settled his arm on the back of the couch. She leaned back, feeling his body heat warming her neck, and slumped back against the cushions, her hair trailing over his arm. Sally called Harry in tears, sobbing about her former boyfriend's engagement. Lorelai felt Luke's arm tense slightly and then slip down to rest on her shoulder, his hand dangling dangerously close to her arm. She looked up when Harry and Sally suddenly began kissing, and saw the muscle in his jaw jump as he clenched his teeth. Luke remained frozen in place throughout the resulting awkwardness and distance that grew between the two main characters. When Sally finally confronted Harry in the hotel kitchen at Jess and Marie's wedding, he muttered, "The guy's an ass."

"Shh, just watch," she whispered.

When New Year's Eve found Harry lying on his bed tossing a miniature basketball into a hoop as he ate Mallomars and watched Dick Clark, Luke nudged her arm with his hand and said, "I do not do that. Besides, I would never eat those things."

Lorelai turned to look at him and said, "Mallomars rule. You don't know what you're missing."

They watched Harry roam the streets of New York, trying to sort out why he felt so sad and alone, and thinking only of Sally. Suddenly Harry began running. Luke's hand rested on her arm, his thumb tracing absent circles on the soft wool of her sweater as Harry burst into a crowded ballroom in search of Sally. He confessed his feelings for her as the partygoers counted down to the start of the New Year, but Lorelai found herself staring only at the clock on the VCR as it flipped over to midnight. There, in the middle of a cold, cold night, she knew it wasn't just an itch that ached to be scratched. Her eyes focused on the screen again as Harry told Sally, 'I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.' Lorelai turned to Luke, her heart beating like a drum.

_tbc_


	5. Epiphany

**Saturday, January 6, 2001 – The Feast of the Epiphany**

Luke glanced over as Lorelai sat up and pulled away from him. She turned to face him, tucking one leg under her as he looked at her questioningly.

"Luke," she began in a low voice.

Luke frowned at the serious tone of her voice and murmured, "Movie's still on, we're not supposed to talk."

"I love that you give me coffee even though you hate that I drink so much of it," she said in a rush, unable to form a coherent thought, but speaking truly from her heart. "I love that I can call you, anytime, for anything, and I know that you'll be there for me." Luke stared at her wide eyed, not daring to breathe. "I love that you love my kid, and I love that I can talk to you about anything. I love that you let me be myself, even when I'm feeling particularly obnoxious, or scared, or happy or sad." She reached up and touched his cheek gently. "I love it when you argue with me, scowl at me and rant at me, or make snarky comments about my food, because I know that if you didn't care, you wouldn't bother." Lorelai took a deep shaky breath. "I love that I need you, because for the longest time I was afraid that I didn't need anyone other than Rory, and that's not really what I want." She trailed her fingers down his cheek to his mouth and touched his lips softly. "I love the way you kiss, and the way you smell, and how safe I feel in your arms. I love that you are the only man who has ever slept in my house," she said in the barest whisper.

"Lorelai," he croaked.

She shook her head slowly and forced the lump in her throat down. "I know that you probably don't want to hear this, and I know that it could possibly ruin everything, but I love you, Luke." She wrinkled her nose as she watched his reaction nervously. "I'm in love with you."

His breath rushed from his lungs as he asked, "Really?"

Lorelai nodded and whispered, "I think I'm pretty sure of it."

Luke nodded quickly as he digested what she had just told. He cleared his throat and then said, "I'm not as dumb as Harry. I've known that I've been in love with you for a long time," he admitted, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Oh, thank God for smart men," Lorelai exhaled in a rush. She smiled brilliantly and said, "What I love most of all is that you're the only one I have ever said that to." She launched herself at him, pressing her lips to his, her fingers frantic as they fluttered over his face and into his hair. Luke kissed her back, parting her lips with his as he hauled her into his lap, tasting her, breathing her in, searching for everything she had just told him in her kiss.

When she pulled away wide eyed and gasping for air, Luke smoothed his hand over her hair and down to the soft wool of her sweater. "You look so pretty," he whispered, his voice tinged with wonder and the words sounding lame even to his own ears.

"No talking, kissing," she said breathlessly.

Luke shook his head slowly and said, "Talking and kissing," as he cupped the back of her head and pulled her down to him. His tongue found hers, circling it slowly, massaging it with deliberate promise, drawing her in and giving himself in return. He broke the kiss, pressing his forehead to hers as he captured her wrist and placed her hand over his heart. "Do you feel that?" he asked in a raspy voice. When she hummed her confirmation, he chuckled softly and said, "The first time you kissed me, I thought it would burst."

"Luke," she sighed, threading her fingers through his hair and tangling them in the soft curls at his neck.

"I wanted to keep on kissing you, drunk or not. You said that I was a gentleman, I wasn't. I mean, I really didn't want to be," he confessed in soft throaty voice. "I just couldn't have taken it if things had gone further than they did, and you said, well, basically what you said the next day. I wasn't a gentleman, I was a coward."

"Oh, Luke," she said sadly.

He kissed her tenderly, his lips clinging to hers even as he pulled away. "The kisses were hard enough to try not to think about."

"I wanted you, I just didn't know if you… I kind of threw myself at you," she said with a breathy laugh.

"And I was right there waiting to catch you, trust me," he assured her.

"I do," she whispered. Lorelai pressed a tiny kiss to the corner of his mouth. "I trust you. And, you're no coward, you walked right into this tonight," she said as she pecked soft lingering kisses to his cheek and jaw. "I had a plan."

"I had hopes," he answered. Luke's hand slid up the nape of her neck and into her hair as he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her with everything he had been holding back for so long. Their lips parted as he slid to the side, shifting to stretch out on the couch and holding her tightly to him. "No more talking, kissing," he murmured as his head touched the armrest and he straightened out on the couch. He pulled her down to him and kissed her hard and hot, pressing up into her soft curves.

Lorelai broke away, trailing hot, wet kisses over his jaw and down to his neck. She drew greedily on his skin and whispered, "Can you hear it?"

"Hear what?" he asked in a whisper.

"My heart, it's like a drum," she told him. "Not just any drum," she added as she nibbled her way up to his ear. "It's like John Bonham is trying to outdo Buddy Rich in there." She bit his earlobe gently and he growled deep in his throat, setting her nerve endings on fire. "I can feel yours," she whispered. Lorelai lifted her head and fused her lips to his, kissing him frantically as her fingers scrambled for the buttons on his shirt. Luke's hands skimmed over her back, curving into the dip of her waist, molding to her ribcage, and splaying over her back as he sought to touch every bit of her.

With a frustrated moan, Lorelai tore her mouth from his and sat back, impatiently pushing the plastic buttons that trailed down the front of him through their buttonholes, desperate to get to him. She tugged at the shirt, trying to free it from his waistband as his hands found her hips, holding her steady on top of him. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, her brow furrowed in fierce concentration as she worked the buttons only to find a tight white t-shirt beneath the soft denim. "You wear too many clothes," she muttered under her breath as she parted the shirt and ran her hands up over the planes of his chest.

"This was not chosen by color blind, diabetic glaucoma patients," Luke said with a chuckle as he ran his hands down her arms, enjoying the feel of the rich, soft wool under his fingertips.

"No, this was picked out by a woman who likes that certain people like the way her sweaters fit," she told him with a sly smile.

"It fits perfectly," he growled.

"Thank you," she said primly. Lorelai sat back and reached for the hem of the sweater, crossing her arms and pulled it up over her head, and shaking one arm to free her hand from a sleeve. The fine cashmere fell to the floor in a heap as she stared down at him boldly.

"Lorelai," he breathed, his hands automatically reaching for her waist and raising a flurry of gooosebumps as his cool fingertips touched her heated skin.

"I want you," she whispered. "It's still Christmas, and I want you." Luke sat up, wrapping his arms around her tightly as he kissed her passionately. He pressed wet open-mouthed kisses to the creamy skin of her neck, his breath warming her as he laved the pulse that throbbed in her throat, and sucked gently on tender flesh. His palms cupped her ribs and his thumbs brushed the sides of her breasts. "Luke," she murmured, her voice throaty and aching. "The sweater thing was kind of a blatant invitation," she told him with a husky laugh.

"I don't want to rush you," he murmured against her skin.

Lorelai raked her nails over is back before she began to push the denim shirt off of his broad shoulders. "I'm going to rush you."

"Lorelai, we, uh," he said as she pushed him back and began to tug the sleeves down his arms.

"Let go," she ordered. When he dropped his arms to his sides, she skimmed the shirt off as he pulled his hands free. Lorelai looked down at the tight white undershirt he still wore, and touched her fingertip to the dip of its vee neck. She marveled at how tan his skin looked next to the snowy white shirt, she watched as his adam's apple bobbed in response to her fingers trailing over his throat. "For the last two nights you slept on my couch," she said softly as she traced delicate swirls and curlicues over his skin. Lorelai raised her eyes slowly, allowing them to linger on his soft pink lips for a moment before they locked on his. "Tonight, you're sleeping in my bed."

Luke's lips twitched as he tried to smother the grin that threatened. "I am, huh?" he asked gruffly.

Lorelai nodded solemnly as she kept her eyes on his. "Yes. I'm sorry, but yes, you are."

"I'm not sorry to hear that," he said as he ran his hands over the soft skin of her back. He traced the curve of her spine with his fingertips, letting them trail teasingly down into the gap in the waistband of her jeans. "This couch sucks," he muttered.

"You'll be naked," she warned him with a feline smile.

"Will you be too?"

"More than likely," she answered with a nod.

"This is really happening?" he asked uncertainly.

"Oh yeah, this is really happening," she said with a laugh.

Luke nodded and said, "Just making sure." He kissed her once more, his lips sweet and gentle, but firm and sure as he drew her in. His tongue danced slowly over hers as he sighed into her waiting mouth, and then pulled away reluctantly. "Hang on," he ordered as he planted one hand on the couch and turned so that his feet hit the floor. He ran his hands over her denim clad thighs and then cupped her bottom as he murmured, "Help me out, here."

Lorelai encircled his neck as she pressed her heels into the couch cushions to lift her weight from his lap. Luke stood up, and adjusted her in his arms as she wrapped her legs securely around his waist and giggled into his neck. Luke smiled as he blew her hair away from his lips, and started for the stairs. "You are not," she chuckled as she lifted her head.

"Stop squirming," he grunted as he lifted his foot onto the first step.

"You'll break your back," she laughed. "Luke, put me down."

"I'm trying to be romantic, dammit," he complained.

Lorelai unlocked her legs and lowered her feet until she found the step behind her. She flashed him a luminescent smile and then pressed her lips to his. She shook her head slowly as she gazed into his deep blue eyes and said, "The crazy must have rubbed off on you. I don't need romantic, I need you." She took his hand and laced her fingers through hers, folding her arm into the small of her back as she turned and led him slowly up the stairs.

She paused at her bedroom door and turned back to him. "You're the only boy I've ever taken to my room."

Luke smirked and said, "I'm no boy, and I've been in your room lots of times."

"To fix things, yeah, but you're the only guy I've ever, uh," she trailed off as she glanced nervously into the room.

"Good," Luke said with a smug smile.

Lorelai laughed and said, "If it didn't look so damn sexy on you, I'd stick a pin in that ego of yours."

"I'm sorry, weren't you telling me that to boost my ego?" he asked innocently.

Lorelai grinned and said, "I was telling you that because it's true. And now that I think about it, I think you are the only guy who has ever been in my room, period."

"Let's keep it that way," Luke said as he kissed her firmly. "Besides, I've never seen it this clean," he added with a grin.

"I was trying to make a good impression," Lorelai answered playfully.

He kissed her again, his lips softening as he parted hers, falling into her kiss as he inched her into the room, pressing their joined hands into the small of her back as each kiss grew deeper and more heated.

A foot from the bed, Luke's feet stopped shuffling, and when Lorelai took another step back, their lips parted. "Why'd you stop?" she cried plaintively as she reached for him.

"Are you sure?" he rasped.

Lorelai's eyes widened, and then she rolled them meaningfully. "Look at me, Luke," she laughed as she gestured to her bra and jeans.

"I need you to be sure," he said, loosening his hold on her hand and keeping his eyes planted firmly on her face because looking anywhere else was just too tempting.

"Am I going to have to do everything myself?" she teased as she unbuttoned her jeans and slowly lowered the zipper. She smiled as the sound caught his attention and his eyes soon followed.

Luke batted her hand away, his gaze roving over her already exposed skin with patient deliberation. "No," he said softly. "It's just that I've been very careful so far," he said in a low rumble. "If I start touching you, I won't stop, Lorelai," he told her as his eyes met hers again.

"I don't want you to stop. There, is that clear enough?" she asked, cocking her head as she plucked at the stark white cotton of his shirt. Luke nodded once and immediately stripped his t-shirt off, granting her a glorious view of his muscular chest and arms. "Don't stop," she said softly as she stroked the soft hair on his chest.

One hand snaked out and caught her by the waist, pulling her to him roughly as he bent his head and kissed her passionately. He propelled her the final twelve inches to the edge of the bed, and gently nudged her onto the mattress, bracing himself on one knee and one hand as he followed her down. His lips were everywhere; buried in her soft, fragrant hair, plundering her mouth, nipping at her jaw, her ear, her neck. His hand, warm and calloused, glided over her skin, stroking the supple softness of her curves, teasing her taut nipples through the coarse lace that covered them. He moved steadily lower, claiming her with his hands, marking her lips and tongue, breathing her in deeply and flooding his senses with every bit of her. His lips found the soft curve of her breast, his teeth tugged impatiently at the fabric barrier that both aroused and annoyed him. He covered one tightly beaded tip with his open mouth and drew deeply, pulling her in to the wet warmth of his mouth and worrying the aching flesh with is tongue.

"Luke," she breathed, fisting her hands in his hair.

Luke slid one finger under the front clasp of her bra and lifted, sliding the plastic catch free and brushing the lace from her other breast impatiently. He covered her with his palm, curling his long fingers into the soft mound as his groan of pleasure overtook her moan of frustration. He released her, moving to lavish the same attentions on her bare breast as he swept the rest of the fabric aside, warming her damp skin with his hand. He sucked gently, teasing her with light flicks of his tongue before taking her harder, deeper. Lorelai arched off of the mattress, circling her hips and pressing against him, mindlessly seeking the friction she craved. Luke caressed both of her breasts, cupping them gently before squeezing them together and burying his lips in the valley between them. He nuzzled the soft underside of one as his fingers memorized each and every contour of the other. "You smell incredible," he whispered against her skin, drawing in the musky scent of perfume, vanilla body lotion and Lorelai. He kissed his way back up to her chest, sliding the tip of his tongue over her freckles in a maddening game of connect the dots.

One hand slid down over her hip to the soft denim that covered her thigh, his fingers splaying possessively as he kneaded her muscle gently. He kissed his way down her flat stomach, pausing to dawdle at her navel, flicking his tongue into the shallow indention teasingly. "Oh my god," Lorelai gasped.

"What?" he asked, his voice humming against her skin as he shifted off of the edge of the bed, bending over her prone body.

"You're so good at this," she said with an awed laugh.

"You boosting my ego again so you can pop it?" he asked as he looked up at her. He turned the flaps of her zipper back, creating a vee of fabric highlighting her lacy panties. He pressed a kiss to the very bottom of the vee and Lorelai moaned loudly.

His chin brushed against the sensitive skin just above her panties as she panted, "No boost." As he pressed his lips to the pale blue lace and his breath seeped through to her soft curls. "I want you," she whispered.

"Lorelai, you have no idea," Luke said in a deep husky drawl.

"No, you have no idea," she responded automatically.

"Geez, you're gonna fight with me now?" he groaned as he pressed his lips to the lace that covered her once more.

"No fighting," she gasped.

"Good," he breathed, watching her respond as his warm breath washed over her.

"I'm a lover, not a fighter," she murmured.

"Oh, you're a fighter," he chuckled as he lowered his lips to her again, this time pressing his tongue against the rough fabric.

"Wait, wait," she panted. When he looked up with a worried frown, she shook her head and said, "I can't see you." Lorelai scrambled back onto the bed, straightening her legs as she pressed onto the pillows. She held her hand out to him and said, "Come up here."

Luke crawled up over her placing one hand in front of the other, his muscles bunching and smoothing once more under his taut skin. He braced one hand on the pillow next to her head, and his eyebrows shot up as it sank down into it. A slow smile spread across his face as he asked, "Feather pillows?"

Lorelai grinned up at him and said, "Goose down, but don't get any funny ideas."

Their eyes met, and for a moment they stayed locked in the simple warmth of each other's smile. Lorelai's hands found their way to his torso, smoothing over his tight stomach, around his ribs and up over the hard muscles in his back. She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously and murmured, "You're awful pretty."

"Stop," he growled as he bent to kiss her.

When he pulled away, Lorelai squeezed his biceps appreciatively and said, "Do it again," as she flashed him a challenging smile.

Luke lowered himself slowly, the hard ridge in his jeans pressing insistently into the exposed lace of her panties, as he brushed his lips over hers and murmured, "Stop distracting me."

"Me?" she asked innocently as she clamped one leg over his to hold him there and ran her hands greedily over his back of his jeans.

"I might not remember where I was," he said in a low dangerous voice. "Don't make me have to start all over again," he threatened.

"Oh no, not that," she gasped in a horrified tone.

"Yes, that," he said as he kissed her slowly, lingeringly, his lips gliding over hers, tasting her and testing her.

"Wow, you meant all the way back there," she asked with a laugh. "I'm not sure that I could take that."

"Where was I?" he wondered aloud as he pushed away from the pillows.

He nuzzled into her neck, nipping her ear playfully as she said, "Lower."

"Lower?" Luke asked as he scattered kisses over her collarbone.

"Yes, lower," Lorelai said as she placed her hands on his shoulders and pressed him down gently.

"Oh, here?" he asked as he pressed his mouth to the top of her breast.

"Much lower," Lorelai said with a laugh as she pressed harder on his shoulders.

"Must have been here," he said as he placed a soft kiss to her belly button.

"Lower, please, lower," Lorelai laughed helplessly.

"I remember now," he said in a deep gravelly voice. He caught the elastic of her panties between his teeth and gave them a playful tug.

"You're killing me," she giggled.

"Want me, Lorelai?" he asked with a slow smile.

"So much," she replied easily.

Luke ran his hands over the front of her jeans, his fingers tracing the outline of the tiny coin pocket in front. "No swan," he said quietly.

"Swan?" she asked blankly.

"On your jeans, there's no swan," he said with a heavy sigh of disappointment.

"No, no swan," she said with a tender smile.

"I would buy you seven pairs of swan jeans," he told her solemnly.

Lorelai smiled and said, "You like jeans."

"I like you in jeans," he countered.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime," he said as he hooked his fingers into her waistband and began to peel her jeans down over her legs.

As he carefully pulled them free of her feet Lorelai asked, "You think you could maybe lose yours while you're down there?"

"You bet," Luke answered with a nod. He slipped off of the end of the bed and quickly stripped out of his jeans while Lorelai watched, admiring the smattering of hair that dusted his chest and narrowed at his trim waist. Luke stood up, but quickly dived for the bed once more, affording her only a glimpse of his straining boxer briefs.

She smiled and asked softly, "Shy boy?"

"Man whose not gonna stand around in his underwear," he countered as he ran his hands up the length of her legs. He massaged her thighs gently, his fingers trembling slightly with scarcely contained need. "Um, do we need to talk about, uh, stuff?" he asked gruffly.

"Oh," Lorelai whispered, her mouth forming the letter. "Um, well, yeah. I'm, uh, on the pill," she began slowly.

"It's, um, been a while," he said as he ducked his head slightly.

"Me too," she admitted. "I'm, um, good though," she told him. Lorelai laughed as the words tumbled out of her mouth. "I mean, I'm not bragging here, although I think I'm pretty good," she added, lowering her voice. "What I'm trying to say, but can't seem to spit out, is that I'm clean, you know healthy," she babbled.

Luke couldn't contain his smile as he said, "Me too." He ran his fingertips along the lacy edges of her panties. "Healthy wouldn't be the first word I'd pick for you," he said with a low chuckle.

"Hey!" she protested, swatting his shoulder.

He grinned as he looked up at her and said, "But I'm definitely willing to believe that you're good."

He let his fingertips dip under the elastic teasingly, and then curled his fingers around the lace. Lorelai raised her hips and Luke pulled her panties slowly down her legs, keeping his eyes locked on the fabric until he dropped them over the edge of the bed. Only then did he allow himself to feast his eyes on her. Luke sucked in his breath, dazzled by the sight of Lorelai Gilmore lying naked on the bed, wanting him, waiting for him. He blinked, and felt a moment of panic, thinking that she wasn't really there, that this wasn't really happening.

"Luke?" she called softly.

"You're amazing," he said at last, and then his hands were on her.

His lips followed shortly after, licking, tasting and stroking his way up her long legs. Unable to resist, he parted her thighs with his hands and simply pressed his face to her sex, breathing in the scent of her arousal as tangible proof that he was indeed the man who brought her there. His tongue darted out, touching her tentatively for a moment, and then sinking into her wet heat as she moaned her approval. Lorelai's nails dug into his shoulders as he circled her slowly, drawing her onto his tongue and into his mouth. Driven by her tiny sighs, Luke feasted on her, burying his lips and teeth and tongue deep in her folds, driving her up as he lapped greedily at her juices. Lorelai's hands flew to his head, her fingers curling into his hair as she undulated against him, her breath caught in her lungs, trapped by the waves of pleasure coursing through her. "Luke," she whispered urgently. The sound of his name spoken softly in that aching tone sent him into a frenzy. He drew her into his eager mouth as he pressed his finger into her, groaning against her as her walls closed tightly around him. "Luke!" she gasped as she pushed up onto the pillows, just out of his reach.

"I'm sorry, I…" he whispered, instantly contrite.

Lorelai saw the bereft look on his face and reached for him. "No, no, God, no," she said quickly. "Luke…" she started and then stopped. "Oh, Luke," she said with a breathy laugh as she grasped his arms and pulled him up to her. "Nothing to be sorry for at all. It's just, whoa," she chuckled softly. "You have talent. Serious talent, my friend," she said as she caressed his cheek and looked him straight in the eye. "I just, I need, I want us to be together," she explained softly.

"Together," he repeated.

"Yes. I want to be with you," she told him, her eyes searching his for understanding. "Next time, you can use the whole arsenal, I promise, but right now…" she trailed off with a helpless shrug.

"Next time," he said as if it never occurred to him that this could happen again.

Lorelai smiled as she reached to push his boxer briefs over his hips. "Yes, next time, but right now, together," she whispered as she trailed her fingers along the length of him as she lay back on the pillows once more, her eyelids heavy as she looked up at him, nearly masking bright blue eyes hazy with desire.

Luke wet his lips with the tip of his tongue, and nodded again as he pushed his boxers the rest of the way down his legs and kicked them off of his feet with a softly muttered oath. He looked down at her, and Lorelai beckoned him to her, welcoming him into her embrace. Luke positioned himself at her parted thighs, fighting the urge to close his eyes, unwilling to miss one moment with her. Lorelai guided him into her, a soft sigh of relief slipping past her parted lips as he sank slowly into her heat. "You feel so good," she whispered as he pressed deeper, sheathing himself in her.

A breathless laugh rushed from him, but no words would come as he swallowed hard, his eyes locked on hers as he lowered himself onto his elbows, framing her with his arms. Lorelai circled her hips, and he began to move slowly, withdrawing to the brink and then letting himself fall into her, the pace increasing with each deliciously tortuous stroke. Lorelai's hands skimmed over his back and cupped his ass, drawing him closer, urging him on, desperate for more. He watched her carefully; cataloging each moan, each whisper, each whimper and trying to commit them to memory. Lorelai closed her eyes savoring the feel of him deep inside of her, his back broad and strong, his arms, cradling her. She opened her eyes and found his dark with desire, and warm with emotion.

"Luke," she said breathlessly as she arched her neck, pressing her head back into the soft pillow as she felt the heat of her climax consuming her.

Luke drove into her, pushing her higher, unable to hold back any longer. When she cried out, he was lost, rising to meet her with a strangled groan of release, and then hanging his head as he murmured her name over and over, his voice hoarse and his breathing labored. His arms quivered as he continued to move inside of her slowly. He pressed his face to her neck, collapsing onto her as she wrapped her arms around him tightly, whispering nonsensical little words of comfort into his ear.

Finally, he slowed, lifting himself slightly to allow her to catch her breath as he pressed hundreds of tiny, worshipful kisses to her face and hair. Lorelai smiled lazily as she stared up at the ceiling, her hands busily stroking his back, his hair, his neck. Incapable of remaining silent for too long, Lorelai murmured, "Wow." Luke laughed softly and then nodded a bit. "You okay?" she asked smugly.

"Please, God, tell me you didn't fake that," he growled into her ear.

Lorelai burst out laughing as she hugged him tightly and said, "I'm not that good of an actress."

Luke lifted his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "I've seen other performances," he said with a pointed stare.

Lorelai grinned broadly and framed his face in her hands. "That beat the crap out of frankincense and myrrh. You are worth your weight in gold."

Luke kissed her again and then pressed his forehead to hers as he said, "We left the fire going, candles."

Lorelai made a soft sobbing noise and moaned, "But I've been ravaged, I can't move!"

Luke nodded and said, "So, I guess I'm going down." When she quirked an eyebrow at him he shook his head and said, "Don't even. I'm going to go downstairs to put out the fire and blow out the candles."

"Still sounds dirty, even when you say it that way," she teased.

Luke shook his head and kissed her again before pushing himself up off of her. He spotted his boxer briefs hanging on the bedpost, grabbed them, and pulled them on quickly. "A man with your talents shouldn't be so modest," Lorelai observed as she rolled up onto her elbow and watched him try to untangle his jeans.

"See, now, you keep sayin' stuff like that, and I'll know you were faking," he said as he stepped into his jeans, rising up on his toes slightly as he pulled the zipper up.

Lorelai flashed him a devilish smile and said, "Well, I could keep reassuring you, or I could just use this seed of doubt as an incentive."

Luke left the button on his jeans undone as he stopped and looked at her, bare and beautiful in the center of the quilt. He quickly pressed one knee on the bed as he leaned down to kiss her. "Don't you dare fall asleep without me," he said in a low voice.

"Hurry, it's been a long day," she called after him teasingly.

Luke rolled his eyes as he walked from the room. When he reached the steps, he called back over his shoulder, "I'm taking the Christmas lights down when we get up."

"Who said I'm letting you out of bed?" she called back, her laugh happy and free as it followed him down the stairs.

"I think this may be my new favorite holiday," Luke murmured to himself as he hurried into the living room, blowing out the candles spaced on the mantle before he began to bank the remains of the fire.

Lorelai rolled onto her back and shivered slightly, already missing the warmth of his body. She stretched contentedly, pulled back one corner of the covers, rolled over and scotched down into the sheets. After a few minutes, she called loudly, "I'm lonely!"

"Keep your pants on!" he called back.

"I'm not wearing any pants," she said with a giddy laugh.

She heard his bare feet pounding on the steps before he appeared. He walked into the room and said, "Which is why I'm back."

Lorelai giggled as she held the blankets back in invitation. "This is now a no pants zone," she told him sternly.

Luke quickly shucked his jeans and shorts and then crawled into the bed beside her. The moment he settled onto the pillow, Lorelai curled herself up against him, smiling softly as she traced his fingers splayed over his stomach. He watched her for a moment and then asked, "What?"

Lorelai rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and then shook her head slightly. "Nothing, I just think we made a very wise decision."

Luke nodded slowly and then smiled as he tightened his arm around her. "Yep, Luke. He was the fourth wise man, you just never hear about him."

_The End_


End file.
